Something More
by the.terrorist
Summary: AU. Sasu/Saku. She — an innocent girl, ready to do anything in order to achieve her dreams. He — a very important drug trafficker, ready to do anything in order to keep his business working. They fall in love. If only it were that easy.
1. The Beginning

**Something More**  
**Chapter One: The Beginning**

* * *

—

_"Hmm… I was wondering when you guys would call again."_

_"Missed us?"_

_"Definitely. So, what can I do for you this time?"_

_"We decided to organize a party."_

_"Hmm, what deal have you sealed now?"_

_"I believe you ought to mind you own business."_

_-laugh-_

_"Okay, okay. Sorry! So, what do you want from me?"_

_"The usual. You and your girls, of course."_

_"Of course. How many this time?"_

_"Twenty."_

_"Twenty? Are we painting the town red tonight?"_

_"Do you think you can do this? Or—"_

_"You know I can. How much time do I have?"_

_"We expect you to be here on Saturday evening."_

_"Perfect. See you then. Bye!"_

_"Hn."_

—

Nineteen year old Haruno Sakura clicked her tongue in impatience as her green eyes moved, one more time, from the essay she was writing to the clock hanging on the wall. A small, exasperated groan escaped her lips as she realized that only five minutes had passed since the last time she checked. Placing her pen aside, not having the smallest intention of continuing anymore, she gave a small sigh and, pushing her chair back, stood up. She took a second to stretch with her arms above her head, her muscles uncoiling with the action, before wandering into the kitchen.

Her apartment was small, having only one bedroom, a small kitchen, and a living room, but it was comfortable, and it was cozy—she needed nothing more.

She poured herself a glass of cold water, but she had barely managed to take a sip of the refreshing liquid, when her phone rang, causing her to roll her eyes. There was only one person who could possibly be calling her, and although she had been waiting for her phone-call, there was no denying the fact that she was hardly in the mood to hear about gossip.

Setting the glass on the counter, she made her way back to the table where she had left her silver phone, picking up.

_"Sakura!"_ the woman on the other line squealed in a way only she knew how—a way that made Sakura pull the phone away from her ear.

"Yes, Ino," she replied calmly, a small smile present on her features.

_"What's up? What are you doing?"_ she asked.

Sakura sighed and took a seat on the small couch, before answering. "Writing, what else?"

_"Aww, Sakura! I swear, that's what you do every time I call!"_ she complained.

"Well, Ino, this is college," she replied simply.

_"I know, but it's taking too much of your time!"_

"Time that I want to dedicate—"

_"Alright, fine,"_ she snapped, stopping her before she could go any further.

Sakura laughed lightly. Her friend must be tired of hearing the same speech over and over again, but it was her who should learn not to bring up the subject every time they talked.

_"I wanted to speak to you about something,"_ she continued in what Sakura knew to be as much of a serious tone as Ino could muster.

"About what?" she asked, mildly curious.

_"Remember what we talked about a few days ago? Well, this is your chance to enter the business. They want to organize a party, and apparently, they need twenty girls."_

"Twenty?" she asked, skeptical, her brows furrowing. "Why so many?"

She had visited _their_ mansion once, when Ino had something to discuss with them, and she had been dragged along. The men had seemed nice enough; there was not a single part of them that resembled what she had seen in movies, but then again, appearances could be deceiving. She could care less about that, though. Their house—the biggest and finest piece of architecture she had ever seen—had helped her make her decision. They had money to spare—money that she desperately needed—and she would do what she needed to do in order to get them.

She might not have the same luck her friend had, since it was unlikely that she would find herself a boyfriend among them (which was something she did not even want, in the first place), but she would live decently with their help.

Up until this point, she had worked in small, insignificant places, as an insignificant waitress or bartender, and of course, she had been paid insignificant amounts of money. And she would have continued in that fashion, because Sakura was a good girl, and she did not want to stoop so low in order to earn more money, but things didn't go as well as she had hoped, and she had no other option now.

Long story short, her friend had offered to help her, and her conscience had forced her to accept. In time, she had become used to the idea, and had come to the conclusion that, as Ino had once told her, they would pay her for something she would enjoy, as well.

_"Well, from what I understood, some of their 'business partners' will be there, as well,"_ she explained. Sakura had a feeling she had come up with that theory by herself, but she chose to remain silent. _"Anyway, as always, they asked me to get them some girls, and I instantly thought of you. Do you want to come?"_

Sakura sighed softly. "Ino… I have to come. There is no other way."

_"Come on, girl, cheer up! You'll see that you'll catch one of those guys' interest! And when that happens, your life will be arranged forever!"_ she exclaimed.

Sakura laughed. "I really wish I could think like you sometimes, Ino."

_"It's called being optimistic,"_ she said. _"And honestly, with your body, it's impossible for my words not to come true. So, you're coming, right?"_

"Yes."

_"Great! Now I have to find another seventeen girls! Tenten, Temari and I will be at your house tomorrow afternoon to help you get ready. Don't worry about the outfit—I get to pick that. See ya!" _

And with those parting words, she ended the call, leaving Sakura with no other option than to comply.

But, of course. She knew perfectly well that she would have never left her with the responsibility of choosing her clothes otherwise.

* * *

Sakura sighed contently as rivulets of scalding water cascaded down her body, relaxing her tense muscles and washing away her worries. That was the reason why she loved taking long, hot showers so much—they helped her immensely. They helped her when she was tired, they helped her when she was buried in a pile of problems that she could not escape, and they helped her now, when she was about to take the hardest step of her life.

The decision had been made, but there was a part of her that still screamed in protest at her upcoming actions, that told her that she was about to make the biggest mistake of her life. She didn't need to be reminded. She knew she was. But it was something that needed to be done.

Shaking her head to push those thoughts out of her mind, she reached for her shampoo, knowing that she had already spent too much time in the shower, and that Ino would start yelling if she wasn't ready by the time she got there.

She quickly washed her hair and her body, but remained a few more minutes under the hot spray of water, before getting out of the shower cabin. She dried her body, wrapped a pink, fluffy towel around her, and exited the bathroom. Once in her bedroom, she pulled on a set of black, lacy underwear that Ino had bought her a few days prior, claiming that not only would it make her look sexier, but it would also give her a plus of confidence. Sakura could not stop her from having her way tonight. But perhaps more importantly, she was willing to try anything that could possibly make her feel better about herself after what she was about to do.

The doorbell rang, and she rushed to the front door, though not before throwing on an oversized shirt to cover her body.

"Sak!" a blonde blob squealed as she threw herself at her, enveloping her into a tight hug.

Sakura laughed at her best friend's antics, wrapping an arm around her in return.

"I am so sorry to ruin the moment, but we only have three hours to get ready!" another blonde chirped, clapping her hands together to get their attention.

"Oh my God, that's true!" Ino gasped, immediately pulling back. She pushed past her friend and entered the apartment, setting all the bags she had brought on the floor. "We have so many things to do!" she exclaimed, and promptly began to unpack—colorful dress after colorful dress, boxes of shoes and tangles of jewelry.

The girls simply laughed, rudely ignoring her rants as they greeted each other.

* * *

"How did it go?" a raven haired man asked as he took a sip of his drink. His long hair was partially tied in a low ponytail at the base of his neck, while bangs framed his face, making his coal black eyes stand out.

"Fine," another man, sitting across from him, answered. One could tell by their appearance that they were related. Their features were similar, only that the latter's hair was shorter, spiky in the back, with bangs falling in his eyes. "You already know we've sealed the deal."

"Yes," he agreed. "Actually, that is exactly what I wanted to talk to you about."

He turned his gaze towards the other men gathered around the table, but when he opened his mouth to speak, a loud blond cut him off.

"We're hosting a party tonight!" he yelled, as though he were miles away, when in fact, he was sitting right next to them.

"Dobe, be quiet," the man with short, raven hair snapped, glaring viciously in his direction.

"You be quiet, teme! I'm talking now!" he shouted. "Anyway, we called some of the other guys and, of course, some girls!"

"Itachi," another man, with long, brown hair and lavender eyes, called. "Can you explain? The idiot still can't talk."

Itachi smirked.

Everybody ignored the indignant cry that followed.

"We have organized a party, if you wish to call it so, because—well, I suppose you have all already realized how important this deal is to us," he said. "We have invited a couple of 'associates', and the girls."

"Twenty!" the blond yelled, ensuring a collective roll of eyes.

"You know," the brown-haired man started as he turned in his seat to face him, "I find it hard to understand why you sound so excited about this particular aspect. You won't get to touch any of them and you know that perfectly well."

His speech earned laughs, smirks, and even a cheer from the group.

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked, quite dramatically. "I'm happy for you guys!" A devious smirk stretched on his lips soon after. "Besides, I wouldn't need to touch them, anyway," he said. "Hinata-chan's a handful!"

"Watch it!" the other man growled.

A hard smack and a loud sound of protest signaled the official end of their meeting.

* * *

Sakura took a moment to inhale deeply before she opened her eyes as she stood in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom, knowing perfectly well that, no matter what clothes, colors, make-up or hairstyle her friend, Ino, had chosen, the person she would be seeing would resemble nothing of her true self.

True enough, save for the bright pink hair, she could barely recognize the person staring back at her.

She was wearing the shortest black dress, with halter straps covered in small, silver rhinestones, and her back slightly exposed. Her green eyes were darkened by heavy make-up, a perfectly executed smoky eye, and her lips were a light, icy pink. Her pale complexion was flawless, and a blush dusted her cheeks. Long, pink hair cascaded down her back and shoulders in loose curls.

"Sak, stop staring and come put these on!" the blonde urged, pointing at a box lying on the bed. She wore an equally short dress, only hers was strapless, and tighter, hugging her every curve. Black rhinestones, larger than her silver ones, complemented the leopard-printed satin, while high-heeled, open-toed pumps completed the outfit.

Sakura gave a quiet sigh at her apparent urgency, but complied and moved to the bed, taking a seat on the soft, purple mattress. She pulled the box in her lap, and her eyes nearly bulged out of her head when she pulled the lid off and saw its contents.

"Are you kidding me?" The words left her mouth without her permission. "My feet will be killing me after a mere five minutes spent in these!" she exclaimed, looking up at her friend with wide eyes as she held up a six-inch, black, strappy sandal. They were gorgeous, she had to admit, but unfortunately, that also meant they were uncomfortable.

"No, they won't," the blonde laughed. "Stop whining and put them on. These, baby girl, are my present to you. And I assure you, they will give you confidence like nothing else!"

Sakura rolled her eyes, but did as she was told without any other form of protest, before standing up and heading back in front of the mirror. It was true—the shoes complemented her outfit, and made her lean legs look as though they went on for miles. Ino, however, didn't need to hear that.

"You look like a Barbie!" she squealed. She would have jumped up and down in her excitement, had she not been wearing her own pair of high-heels. "They are going to _fight_ for you!"

"I'll have to agree with you on that!" Temari proclaimed as she appeared in the doorway with Tenten. They both wore short dresses. Temari's was black, short and strapless, with a portion of leopard-printed material at the bottom, and paired with matching, high-heeled, open-toe pumps, while Tenten's was simpler—bright orange, with stripes of black, see-through material running around her body, below her breasts and above the bottom hem; the outfit was completed with a pair of simple, black pumps.

"Would you stop saying that?" Sakura groaned. "You aren't helping me at all! You're just being annoying!"

The girls simply laughed, knowing perfectly well that the pinkette loved them, regardless of their flaws.

"Oh, I have to get downstairs!" Ino exclaimed after she had taken a fleeting glance at the digital clock lying on the nightstand. "The cars must be here." Grabbing her bag from the bed, she stormed out of the bedroom.

"We'll be there in a minute!" Temari yelled after her, craning her neck to see her small wave before the front door slammed shut. "Well?" she asked as she turned her gaze back to the two remaining girls, grinning. "Ready?"

"You know we are!" Tenten clapped her hands in excitement, and promptly exited the bedroom. "Let's party!" she yelled, making her friends laugh.

They were out on the door in less than a minute, and after Sakura locked up, they made their way downstairs.

Six big, shiny, luxurious automobiles were parked on the side of the road in front of the apartment building, forming a straight line. The majority were black, or dark blue, but the deep red and dark silver were not missing.

"Come on, girls, move faster!" Ino shouted as she ushered a group of girls inside one of the vehicles. "I apologize for waking you all up _so early_, but the road there is long, and we have a party to attend to!"

At the mention of the word 'party', there were several squeals, followed by light laugher.

"Oh, _my _girls!" she exclaimed as soon as she caught sight of Tenten, Temari and Sakura making their way towards her, their arms linked. "You look so hot!" she told them in a stage-whisper, before randomly choosing one of their hands and starting to drag them along. "Come on, now, I've saved the best car for us!"

* * *

The sun was threatening to lower below the horizon when the convoy arrived at its destination. Sakura, though, could have sworn the hours spent on the journey had been the longest of her life.

With each mile, her anxiety grew, and now that the only thing separating her from the unknown world she was about to enter was a large gate, she was becoming more and more insecure by the second. Questions plagued her mind. Should she do this? Was there really no other choice? Had she overlooked an alternative? _Could_ she do this? …Would it kill her on the inside?

Her friends noticed her conflicted mood, but chose to pretend otherwise. They kept silent, understanding what she was feeling—after all, they all went through the very same thing at the beginning.

However, the moment they passed the large set of gates, and Sakura was still immersed in her thoughts, they knew they could not allow her to remain there.

"Sakura," Ino called, turning to look at her from where she sat in the passenger's seat. The pinkette unglued her eyes from the window upon hearing her, confusion written on her features. "I know that this is hard for you. We all do. But you've come so far, you can't give up now."

Sakura shook her head, smiling—albeit somewhat sadly. "I wasn't planning on doing that."

"You have to cheer up, and learn to enjoy the party!" the blonde encouraged, grinning. "There's still plenty of time 'till the night truly starts. Besides," she paused as a mischievous smirk pulled at the corners of her lips, "I'm going to hook you up with one of the most important guys in this organization."

Sakura laughed, shaking her head in amusement. "Well," she began, grinning, "As long as he's hot, I'm perfectly fine with it!"

For a moment, the girls seemed surprised by her sudden change in attitude. But then her words registered in their minds, and they burst into laughter.

Just then, the car came to a stop, and the driver reached out to turn the key in the ignition, cutting off the engine.

"Here we are."

* * *

"They're here," Itachi announced as he walked out onto the terrace, leaning against the railing. His dark eyes followed the row of cars that had recently entered their territory with unconcealed interest.

"Been waiting for them, have you?" his younger brother teased as she took his place beside him, a drink in his hand.

"Look who's talking," he shot back, smirking.

Sasuke chose not to answer, but allowed a small smirk to spread on his face, as well, as he watched the women climbing out of the large automobiles. He could recognize almost all of them, seeing as they had attended their parties before—all, besides one.

The doors to a black Range Rover opened. His eyes were immediately drawn to the familiar figure of a certain blonde-haired woman, who sported a large grin as she yelled something to the other girls still in the car. His smirk widened at the sight of her bubbly attitude—she was a handful, and quite honestly, he had trouble understanding how a lazy man like Shikamaru managed to stand her. Tenten and Temari followed, both laughing over something the blonde had said.

And then _she_ came out. Long, pink hair, vibrant green eyes, slender figure, perfect curves, and long, slim legs. A short, black dress that clung to her petite body like second skin, and a pair of the sexiest high-heeled shoes he had ever seen.

"Who _is_ that?" he asked his brother, intrigued.

"The new girl," he responded, rather vaguely. "Sakura, if I remember correctly."

Sasuke's smirk grew wider.

Her name fitted her, without a doubt.


	2. With You

**Something More**  
**Chapter Two: With You**

* * *

Baby blue eyes scanned their surroundings carefully, blonde hair moving slightly every time she turned her head in an effort to widen her line of sight. Her full, pink lips stretched into a smile when she finally spotted the person she had been looking for, and she quickly wound her way through the crowd, towards him, happy to see him again after almost an entire month of missing him.

The person in question had his back turned to her, and he was sitting down, facing another man. Although annoyed that her obvious arrival didn't seem to have fazed him enough for him to conduct even a small search, she used the situation to her advantage and made her way behind him, her hands sneaking around his head to rest upon his eyes, blocking his view.

The person before him took that as his cue to retreat, leaving the couple alone.

However, the man seemed to know who she was even without needing to see her. "Ino," he said, a lazy smile stretching on his lips when he heard her whine childishly.

"How did you know?" she asked, pouting, as he turned and wrapped his arms around her waist, forcing her to sit down on his lap.

"I know a lot of things," he told her simply, his smirk growing wider as she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"You're an ass," she stated dryly.

"And you're troublesome," he retorted, and leaned in to kiss her, only to have her pull back with a smirk on her face.

"Do you know where Sasuke is?" she asked in an innocent voice.

Shikamaru frowned, visibly confused. "What do you need Sasuke for?"

"I need to talk to him."

"About what?"

"Stop asking so many questions, Shikamaru." She rolled her eyes, and attempted to break free of his embrace, only to realize that he would not let her.

"Tell me," he said, his voice holding traces of amusement, as his arms tightened around her, "or I'm not letting you go."

Stubborn as she was, Ino refused to comply, convinced that she could escape his grip without having to do what she was told. There was one detail that she seemed to have forgotten, though, and that was his strength. Before long, she came to the conclusion that her desperate struggles meant nothing to him.

"Okay, fine," she finally relented, heaving a resigned sigh. "Listen carefully, because I will _not_ repeat myself," she warned, and he simply rolled his eyes at the statement that was meant to offend him. "Remember my friend, Sakura?"

He nodded. For a moment, he wondered what the pink-haired girl could have to do with his associate. Then he remembered what Ino had told him the last time they met, right before he left. "You want to hook them up?" he asked, skepticism in his tone, his mind immediately making connections.

"Yes," she answered, drawing out the word in a hesitant manner. "You think that's not a good idea?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "It's not that," he denied. "It's just… surprising, I guess. Why Sasuke?"

"Well, quite honestly, as weird as it might sound, he's the only one I can bring myself to trust with Sakura," she confessed. "Sure, Itachi is way better, but he's like… five years older. It won't do." She shook her head, and then paused for a moment. "So, now that you know everything," she began, rolling her eyes, "will you help me look for him?"

He smirked, leaning in until their noses were touching. "I'd rather do something else," he whispered.

The blonde gasped indignantly and punched his shoulder half-heartedly, glaring down at him in a playful manner.

"Ow," he complained, pulling back to look at her, sporting a wounded face.

Ino sighed. "Later, okay? I need to take care of this, because Sakura is my friend, and you know how much she means to me, so…"

Her mouth would not shut up as she took his hand, stood up, and proceeded to drag him through the hallways, not noticing—or refusing to acknowledge—his groan of annoyance and his mutter of "troublesome woman". Luckily for him, they found the Uchiha relatively quickly, on the second floor of the house, talking to another man while looking as formal as ever with his crisp, black suit, and his drink in his hand.

"Sasukeee!" the blonde-haired woman yelled, uncaring of the fact that she was close enough for him to hear her without needing to make a ruckus.

Excusing himself, the man turned to face her, annoyance blazing in his eyes.

"Oh, don't be like that!" she scolded, letting go of her boyfriend's hand to grab Sasuke's arm instead. "Come with me, I need to talk to you," she announced, immediately beginning to pull him away from the audience.

"What the hell, woman?" he snapped, and yanked his arm from her grasp, halting her movements. He knew Ino all too well—she was loud, annoying, stupid, and everything one would want to call her, but she was not impulsive. Unless, of course, she wanted something—and quite badly, at that.

"I said, I need to talk to you!" she hissed, crossing her arms over her chest and scowling up at him.

Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Hn," he grunted. "Talk."

"I need you to do me a favor," she stated. Upon receiving an _are-you-stupid_ look from him, she clarified, "I mean, it's not really a favor. It's like… how do I tell you?" she wondered out loud in her attempt to explain herself. His look of annoyance never wavered. "I need you to sleep with somebody." She had come to the conclusion that pure bluntness would be the only way she could make him understand what she wanted from him, but the incredulous look she received in response made her doubt that.

"Explain," he demanded after a moment of stunned silence.

"Okay, so I didn't mean it to sound the way it did," she stammered, tripping over her words. She had always been an open person, and because of that, she had never for a moment believed that asking Sasuke to sleep with her best friend would be so hard. "My friend, Sakura… she's new into this whole thing… like, new—new—you know what I'm saying?"

The Uchiha raised an eyebrow. Was she implying what he thought she was?

"Ugh, you men are so—so _dumb_!" she hissed, annoyed. "She has never done it before, alright?"

Although shocked, he managed a nod. "So, you want me to sleep with her?" he asked, wanting to make sure he had understood.

"Yes," she said. "Look, she's not doing this because she wants to. She's doing this because she needs to. I'm asking you this because you're the only one I can trust with her. I don't know why, 'cause you're a freaking jerk," she stated, making him roll his eyes, "But that's the way I feel."

His mind chose that particular moment to make connections.

_"Who is that?" "The new girl. Sakura, if I remember correctly."_

_"My friend, Sakura… she's new into this whole thing…"_

Could it be…?

"That's her," Ino's voice cut through his thoughts, and he quickly moved his gaze in the direction where she was pointing.

It _was_ her.

Same silky pink hair, same small, but curvy body, same long legs, same short, black dress, same sexy shoes, same bright smile… same person.

"Come on, Sasuke!" the blonde whined, slapping his back. "Say something!"

He glared.

"Yes or no?" she urged.

He blinked. Sometimes, he thought she was stupid—truly stupid. "Hn."

Ino stared at him for a long moment, and he stared back with a blank expression, before a grin broke on her face. "I'm taking that as a yes!" she exclaimed, and with a squeal, turned to leave. Then she stopped, turning her head to look at him. "You won't regret this, I assure you," she promised, winking.

Before he could roll his eyes, she disappeared down the stairs. Heaving a sigh, and knowing her words to be true without having needed her to tell him that, he leaned forward on the railing, his gaze fixed upon the mysterious pink-haired woman. It took very little for an excited Ino to make her appearance, flopping down on the seat next to her and asking her a question. It wasn't her who answered, but Temari, whose words made her laugh.

And he didn't know why—or how it was even possible—but his lips twitched upwards in a smirk as he watched her interact with her friends.

The blonde proceeded to another attempt to gain her attention, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her so that she would listen. Their lips moved, words he could not make out, and he saw Ino pointing at him, most likely encouraging her to join him.

Then she rested her gaze upon him, her vibrant green eyes instantly finding his coal black ones.

His heartbeat quickened at the sight of her smile.

* * *

"Sak!" a loud, familiar voice interrupted their light chatter, and all three girls turned their heads to see the blonde running in their direction, a wide grin on her face. "Sak!" Flopping down on the seat next to the pinkette, she took a moment to catch her breath. "Girls, you—where the _hell_ is Tenten?" she demanded as soon as she registered her absence, confused.

"Hyuuga wanted to fuck her," Temari supplied helpfully.

"Oh my God," Ino gasped. "He actually came here and _said_ that?"

The blonde laughed. "No, girl, how can you even think of that? The man can't talk, you know that!"

Upon hearing her words, Ino breathed out a sigh of relief. Missing such a moment would have been disastrous, after all. "I was already imagining him telling her something like that."

"I'll tell you how it'd sound," Temari offered, straightening her spine and lowering her voice, "Me. Want. Tenten."

Ino choked on the drink she had stolen from Sakura when she heard her friend's amusing interpretation, while the two other girls burst into laughter.

"You, woman, are not sane," the blonde declared, and forced herself to stop laughing. "Anyway, I have something super important to tell you."

However, both Temari and Sakura seemed completely uninterested in what she had to say, for they continued to laugh.

"Sakuraaa!" she whined, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her lightly in an effort to gain her attention.

"Don't do that!" the pinkette complained, still laughing, as she slapped her hands away. "I'm listening, okay? I'm _listening_. Speak."

"Well, excuse me, girls, but I'm going to see what I can find," Temari announced, and stood up, with her drink still clutched in her hand.

"Yeah, well, good luck!" Ino said, waving off her departure, before smiling and scooting closer to her best friend, taking one of her hands in hers. "So, I promised, and I always keep my word. I hooked you up with one of the most important men in the business. His name is Sasuke, he's smoking hot, and he likes you—a lot. I could see it in his eyes!"

Sakura shook her head as the blonde continued to ramble about how amazing the man she had chosen for her was, and she bit down on her lower lip, fighting the smile that was threatening to spread on her features. It didn't work. Why in the world did that name sound so good? It was almost like… like her heart knew that he would be a special person. And somehow, she doubted that had anything to do with the fact that he was to be her first. No, this—this was something more than that.

"Don't just stay here, staring into space, you idiot!" Ino laughed, nudging her encouragingly. "Go to him."

"Where?" the pinkette asked, confused.

"There," she said, titling her chin up.

Sakura smiled, frowned uncertainly, but turned her head to look in the direction she had pointed, regardless. Her smile grew even wider as she caught sight of him.

"Listen," the blonde continued, forcing her attention to return to her. "Keep in mind what I told you, alright? Do _not_ act like the only thing you want from him is sex."

Her words made her laugh. "Ino, you are…" she trailed off, shaking her head in amusement. "You know perfectly well that if the situation was any different, I wouldn't want to have sex with him. Hell, I _don't_ want to have sex with him—with a person I barely know. You know that… that I'm doing this because I have to, because I need money and because this, unfortunately, is the fastest way to get it."

"Geez, I know!" she said, rolling her eyes. "That's not what I meant. What I meant is that… he likes you, Sak. I know he does. And… maybe, you two can have a relationship, and then… you entire life will change forever! Imagine that! You'll never have to worry about anything anymore, and—"

"Ino," the pinkette interrupted, shaking her head. "You've known me since we were kids. You should know that my dream guy is not a drug trafficker."

With a sad smile, she stood up and, smoothing down the creases in her dress, turned to leave, only to have the blonde stop her.

"I know, Sakura," she whispered, hints of pain interlaced in her voice. "But this… this is reality. Dream guys don't exist."

There was a slight moment of hesitation, a waver in the pinkette's step, and that was her only reaction to her best friend's words. There was no need for more; she knew perfectly well that she was right. Realizations hit hard, and they were painful most of the times, but this was one she had had a long time ago. Life had not been easy on her, but she had found her way, with her head up high, out of every difficult situation, and now she could say she was ready to deal with everything she was to encounter.

Taking a deep breath, she sent a small prayer to above, and took a step forward. Another, and she was already closer to the mansion—closer to her destiny.

* * *

As soon as the door closed behind them, she was slammed against the wooden surface, her small cry of both surprise and pain, muffled by his mouth. The kiss was passionate, without a shadow of doubt, but the pressure of his lips upon hers was softer than she had imagined it would be. It was almost as though he was afraid to hurt her.

But that had no way of being true, she remembered. Forcing such traitorous thoughts out of her mind, Sakura slowly but surely started to respond to the kiss, giving in to her hidden desires. She had believed that kissing a stranger—and more than that, in all honesty—would be difficult and would make her think less of herself. It was hardly like that—at least, not at that point. She felt ready, her body almost impatient; strangely enough, she felt as though she could trust this man, this… Sasuke.

Begging for entrance as he sensually licked her lower lip, she offered it without hesitation. A soft moan escaped her throat as his tongue darted into her mouth, exploring every inch of her cavern before tangling with hers, coaxing it to respond.

It occurred to her then that he must have put something in her drink because her skin was practically _electrified_ with his touches, and a kiss had never had such an effect on her.

Unbeknownst to her, Sasuke, too, found the myriad of emotions that was manifesting inside of him to be quite strange. He could, without a doubt, state that he was not a beginner in the domain of sex and everything that it entailed, and yet, he had never felt what he was feeling now that he had her in his arms. Not to say he was a sadist or heartless, but never before had he felt the need to be gentle or to protect his woman. He wanted to believe everything was due to what Ino had told him, because, no matter what his behavior implied, he did respect the blonde, but truth to be told, he knew, in the back of his mind, that there was more to the current situation than that.

He broke the kiss, allowing her to breathe, but refused to stop his ministrations, letting his lips travel down her throat instead, earning soft sounds of pleasure from the pink-haired woman. Sakura threw her head back, unconsciously giving him more access, and felt him smirk against her skin; she could only imagine it was because of her responsiveness.

Sasuke found her pulse and sucked on his harshly, making her moan shakily as her hands tightened into fists around his midnight locks. Turning his attention back to her lips, he captured them into yet another passionate kiss as he lowered his body and wrapped his strong arms around her thighs, easily lifting her up.

He walked slowly towards the bed, with her still clinging to his body, refusing to break the kiss until he had reached his destination; once he had, he gently threw her onto the silk-covered mattress, stopping for a moment to admire her, to take in every part of her body, every detail—the way her pink hair fell over her shoulders in soft waves, messy due to his wandering hands, the way her short dress rose even higher up her thighs, revealing more of her long, luscious legs…

She was beautiful. That was the word. One of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. And that was much to say, because he had seen a lot of them. To think he had yet to uncover her completely… The simple thought of that made his pants feel much too tight, so he wasted no time in slipping his shirt off his body and joining her on the bed, balancing himself on his hands and knees. Almost instantly, it became apparent that something was wrong. She was gazing up at him with bright green eyes, full lips tainted red by his passionate kisses, but she was tense and she was trembling. It was a moment before realization dawned on him.

"Relax, woman," he commanded, his rough tone at odds with the gentleness of his movements as he cradled the back of her head within his large hand and coaxed her to flatten her body against the mattress. "I won't hurt you."

Sakura's heart felt ready to burst out of her chest, either from nervousness or from the sound of his words, and she struggled to control her reactions, struggled to coax her lungs into breathing normally again. A small moment of clarity, a mere second without his hands on her body, without the sensations he evoked inside of her had left her vulnerable enough for all the doubts and questions to assault her—and she had frozen.

Swallowing thickly, she willed her body to relax. It was only then that she was able to feel the softness of the beddings, the slightly chilly air coming in through the window.

His hand moved up her thigh, gently caressing the soft skin, and when he sat up on his knees and watched her expectantly with dark eyes, she removed her dress without a second's hesitation, almost hypnotized by the reassurance written on his face, the confidence every line and plane of his body emanated.

As the only garment covering her body was thrown on the floor by her own hands, he ran his eyes up and down her figure, drinking in every new inch of skin revealed. She bit her lip, and he moved his strong frame back over her smaller one, covering her completely and in such a protective manner that her heart started its frantic dance all over again; he buried his face into the crook of her neck, began to kiss and nip the tender flesh he encountered in his way downwards, and she lost herself in the sensations.

She worried no more from that moment on about placing herself in the hands of another person. Because, this, Sasuke—she trusted him.

* * *

Afterwards, he held her in his arms.

She was surprised, at first, when he rolled over and took her with him, winding a strong arm around her small waist, but it was short-lived as the calm of the afterglow engulfed her body and clouded her mind. His skin was warm, like velvet, and his muscles were toned and firm beneath her; she could feel his chest rising up and down with his breathing, as well as she could hear the sound of his racing heart. It was a no-brainer when she snuggled closer to the warmth he provided, burying her face into the crook of his neck and placing a hand timidly over his chest.

There was nothing to indicate his displeasure.

"Thank you…" she whispered after minutes of silence and contemplation, propping her chin on his shoulder. He had a slightly confused expression on his face and a questioning look in his eyes as he turned his head to see her. "For being gentle… at the beginning," she explained, her cheeks warming under his intense stare.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at her declaration, before he spoke in a cold, curt tone, "You thought that, because I am what I am, I enjoy seeing people in pain?"

Taken by surprise, the pinkette gathered the sheet to her naked chest and sat up as abruptly as she could. "It's not that. It's—I don't know who you are. And—"

"You're annoying," he told her with all the bluntness in the world.

Sakura could only gape at him. A moment passed, and her already open mouth prepared to spout out the ugliest and most indignant retort her mind had produced in a long time, but before she could even have the chance to do that, he interrupted her again.

"Just shut up," he said, and in one swift movement, wrapped his arm back around her waist in an even tighter grip and brought her down upon his chest, leaving her with no other option than to accommodate herself beside him.

It was a while until she was able to do that. Although she was a relatively calm person, she was not one to stand aside and take such offends, so her temper flared up, albeit with good reason, every once in a while. But there was something about the way he closed his eyes and exhaled contentedly, all without allowing his grip to ever slacken—something that disarmed her completely. Giving in, she very nearly smiled as she lowered her head back to his shoulder.

As the exhaustion of the day slowly but surely caught up with her and forced her to close her heavy eyes, Sakura's last thoughts circled around Sasuke. Who was this man? And what was it about him that made her feel so safe, so protected, and so plain-out _good_?


	3. Good Morning

**Something More**  
**Chapter Three: Good Morning**

* * *

The first aspect that Sasuke became aware of when consciousness claimed him was the unusual warmth that enveloped him. A warmth that, strangely enough, had nothing to do with the silk sheets that were draped over his body. No, this was different. This was the kind of warmth that he would never want to let go, the kind of warmth that he could not remember ever feeling. There was a light weight pressing against his chest, something soft and silky sprawled upon his skin. Soon, his foggy mind could make out a small, slender body nestled against his side, and an arm draped over his stomach.

Slowly, his dark eyes opened, and he blinked a couple of times, willing them to adjust to the brightness of the room. When his vision was clear, he looked down at the woman in his arms.

Her head was resting on his chest, her bright pink hair spread all over his skin and her uncovered shoulders; her eyes were closed, long lashes brushing against the top of her cheekbones and flawless make-up still in place. He had a firm, yet gentle grip on her waist, and her left hand was resting over his right forearm. She looked so peaceful, so beautiful, that his body almost acted on its own accord when his arm detached itself from her waist, his hand coming up to caress her cheek tenderly.

Although he would never say it out loud—or even admit it to himself—Sasuke knew perfectly well, in the back of his mind, that what he felt for the pinkette he now held in his arms was not normal—at least not for him. He had tried to label it as simple physical attraction, but somehow, he now knew it was something else, something _more_.

From the first moment he had seen her, climbing out of that shiny, black Range Rover, he had known she would be his. Ino simply made his job easier when she asked him if he wanted to sleep with her. He could still remember with perfect clarity how shocked he had been when the blonde told him about her—and her condition. It was hard for his mind to wrap around the fact that a pure, innocent being like her would want to get involved in such a horrible business. What were her reasons? That was the first question that crossed his mind—a question that remained unanswered still. Regardless, he had paid little mind to it then, and let Ino know that yes, he did want to sleep with her—and quite badly, at that.

Back then, when he stood on the balcony and gazed down upon her, she hardly represented anything other than sex to him—virgin or not, new in the business or not, she was still just a one-night-stand. But when he saw her before him, standing barely inches away, when he finally managed to study her thoroughly, he realized that she was—or at least would be—a lot more than that.

Her behavior had only served to prove that his conclusion hadn't been wrong.

Looking back, he remembered every second clearly, as though he were seeing a movie. He had offered her a drink, which she had eagerly accepted, they had talked for a minute, and then he had kissed her. The very moment their lips touched, he felt something he was unable to describe, even now. It was like a colorful spark, like tiny jolts of electricity crawling underneath his skin—something he had never felt before.

Sasuke had heard about such things. He had heard people claiming to feel a similar sensation when they touched the right person's skin, but truth to be told, he had always thought of that as bullshit—something that could never happen, something that weak persons _thought_ they felt when their mind was clouded. Alcohol, drugs, love, lust… there were a lot of perfectly logical causes that could explain the strange phenomenon. Yet none of them seemed to comprise an explanation for this particular situation.

But that hardly bothered him now, not only because he felt entirely too comfortable to care, but also because he knew he hadn't actually searched very hard for an explanation, in the first place. There was one, without a doubt; he just hadn't found it yet.

What she had made him feel had been beyond anything he had ever even dreamed of feeling. And that was not only on a physical level, although that should definitely also be included. Sasuke, however, was talking about the sentimental one—which he had been rather unsure that anybody would ever manage to awaken inside of him. But this woman… He wanted to _protect_ her. And that had driven him to be gentle with her—gentler than he had ever been. That had driven him to be considerate, and to _care_—about the sensations he caused, and the thoughts he incited. His usually rough touches had been soft caresses, his violent kisses tender. The realization was shocking and disturbing, but the truth was that the night before had been more of a strange love-making than a simple fuck.

The reason why he had called her 'annoying' was because he had known perfectly well what she thought of him, his business, and the lifestyle that he led. He had seen everything he had needed to see in her eyes—in those bright, emerald orbs that allowed him to read her like an open book. But although he had been unreasonably bothered by what he had learned, he hadn't meant it as an insult. After all, she had every right to believe whatever she wanted to believe about him.

That simple thought in itself was strange. Sasuke was a drug trafficker, true, but the road that had taken him there was dark, twisted, and paved with malice, with hatred, with angry thoughts of revenge. This was not how his younger self had once envisioned his life, so it was only normal that he wanted his woman to mind her own business and keep her mouth shut. But when the time came to teach _her_ that… he had been unable to find the words to tell her off, to rebuke her, to push her out of his life once and forever.

Not to mention that the only other person he had ever called 'annoying' was his own mother. The rest were stupid idiots, insignificant brats, morons, assholes, fuck-deprived animals… but not 'annoying'. The word was too indulgent to describe them.

When he was with her, his entire demeanor seemed to change, to shift, to mold into something else—into a person that was so distant and so remote that he could hardly recognize it as a part of himself anymore. When he was with her, every cell in his body relaxed, every fiber of his being trusting her enough to force him to lower his guard in her presence. And it was strange, almost surreal, in a sense, because Sasuke was a cautious person, and he hadn't even known her for twenty-four hours. It was almost like some kind of connection had already been established between them—something that neither of them had given their approval for and that he preferred to ignore, at least until later, when he was alone and able to battle his demons.

He briefly wondered whether it was possible for her to feel the same.

A sudden knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts, making him frown. Although nearly all the people in the mansion were earlier risers than he himself was, only two of them would ever dare to disturb his sleep in the morning. Those were Itachi and Naruto, and neither of them ever knocked.

Heaving a sigh, Sasuke shifted slightly as he tried to work out a way to slip from underneath the woman in his arms without waking her up. To his surprise, however, when he looked down, he noticed that she was already awake. Her emerald orbs were halfway opened, still sleepy, still rather unfocused.

_"Sak!" _They both recognized the voice, and in response, Sasuke rolled his eyes. He allowed his body to relax back into the mattress and his arm to curl back around Sakura's waist, knowing that nothing Ino had to say was ever important enough by his standards.

The pinkette, too, seemed uninterested in what her friend had come to say to her. Unconsciously, she snuggled closer to the warm body beside her, burying her face into the crook of his neck. At that point, there was nothing else she needed in the world. She didn't want to wake up, she didn't want to leave, she didn't want to talk to Ino, she didn't want _anything_. All she wanted was to stay there, in his arms, where she felt warm, and safe, and secure, and perfect.

_"Sakura!"_ Her dream, however, was soon shattered by a loud bang that faintly resembled the sound of a high-heeled shoe hitting the wooden door. _"Sakura, we're leaving! You coming with us?"_

Now, _that_ woke her up. "Shit!"

Sasuke felt her body tense against his own, and the next thing he knew, she was up on her knees, clutching the sheet to her chest with her small hands. The pinkette muttered another curse under her breath, perfectly able to remember what Ino had told her the day before about when they were to leave—the hour was established, and they all went back with the same cars they came. She had been fine with that, because she was used to waking up early, so she had imagined that, by 10 AM, she would be more than ready to leave. But she had been so tired, and had slept so well…

She was about to jump out of bed when a hand shot forward and grabbed her wrist in a firm, yet gentle grip. She gasped and immediately looked down, strangely not surprised at all upon realizing who that hand belonged to.

"She's staying!" he said, voice loud enough to be heard by the blonde on the other side of the door, but still quiet enough not to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the sun-bathed room.

Outside, Ino and Temari exchanged a knowing look, before happy grins broke on their faces.

"I knew it!" Temari squealed in delight.

"Our little girl did it!" the other blonde exclaimed, her blue eyes gleaming with happiness, as she linked arms with her friend. "Gosh, I'm so proud."

Sakura frowned in confusion, her emerald eyes gazing deep into his coal-black ones—relentlessly searching for a reason, for an explanation. "Why?" she asked, her voice soft and small, when she was finally unable to contain herself anymore.

He simply shrugged, and answered passively, "No need to rush anything. I'll send one of the guards to take you home later."

For an unbeknownst reason, Sakura found herself smiling down at him. Lowering her body back to the mattress, she resumed her original position; his arms took very little in wrapping around her waist in a possessive manner, his face buried itself in her pink locks, and she sighed contently, cuddling closer to his warm body.

Sakura was not stupid. She hadn't forgotten for one second what she was doing there and what he probably considered her to be—what he considered _them_ to be. This—the entire ordeal—had been a simple one-night-stand, only that she would later receive a cheque in exchange. And it hurt. It hurt, because she had never imagined she would have to resort to this in order to achieve her dreams, had never imagined she would stoop so low as to sleep with a man for money.

But in the end, the whole situation wasn't as bad as it could have been. After all, she wasn't a prostitute. No, she was… she was something more, something different. She didn't spend her nights on darkened streets, waiting for a car to stop and a driver to take her somewhere where he could have his way with her. Nor did she spend her nights in low-famed bars, waiting for a man to grab her hand and take her to a shabby room, equipped with one essential piece of furniture: a bed. No, she wasn't a prostitute. The men she slept with were drug traffickers, and no matter how wrong that sounded, they were _important_ people. They had a humongous mansion, with a large pool and a wonderful view towards the city. They had money, cars, responsibilities, and perhaps most importantly, they looked good. They weren't some old, crazed, sex-deprived alcoholics.

So no, this was definitely not as bad as it could have been. But her heart still clenched at the thought that she had given her virginity to a man that wasn't her lover, a man that didn't even hold the smallest feelings of affection for her. Sakura was not a weak woman, and she knew better than to make a drama out of this situation. This was the path she had chosen, the choice she had made, and she would stick with it until it was clear where it led. In a couple of days, she wouldn't even remember this night. The advantages that were to come would surely take care of erasing it from her memory. But at the moment, she highly doubted there was anything in the world that could comfort her.

An arm detangled itself from her middle section, and a large hand ran up her back, coming to rest on the base of her neck, tangled in her pink locks. Figuring he had something he wanted to either tell or show her, Sakura turned her head to look at him, only to be met by his lips.

On his part, Sasuke wasn't entirely sure why he had initiated the contact, but as soon as he felt her slowly begin to respond to the kiss, he found that he didn't care, either.

The contact wasn't sweet and innocent, but it was tender and passionate, and the pinkette had nothing to argue about. Because, somehow, the small action managed the impossible—it made her relax. It made her feel better, and it made it easier for her to lie to herself.

So, she pretended. For as long as the kiss lasted, she pretended. She pretended that the reason why she had slept with him wasn't her need for money, that he actually cared about her, that he… returned her feelings? No, she told herself, that wasn't the right way to put things. After all, even though she was bond to grow attached to the man that had been her first, the truth was that she barely knew him—there _could_ not be any other feelings involved. Sakura had always been a dreamer, had always liked to believe that fairytales could one day become reality, but love at first sight? That didn't exist, not even in her universe. There was attraction, there was a spark, there was hope, and there was desire… but there was not love.

Still, she couldn't deny that she felt _something_ for him. He was gorgeous—that much was obvious. She had seen him from a distance, and she remembered perfectly the way her heartbeat had quickened and the way millions of tiny butterflies had exploded in her stomach. She remembered thinking that he was cute, that she liked him. When Ino told her she had arranged for her to go to him, she almost couldn't believe her ears. She didn't know whether to be happy, nervous, sad, hopeful, embarrassed, relieved, or something else.

One thing she was sure of was that he looked even more devastatingly handsome up close. But her unexplainable feelings were not based on physical attraction only. There was also the way he had kissed her, the way he had touched her, the way his words had managed to soothe her, to calm her, to relax her. The way he had made her feel…

When she was with him, she felt happy. She felt content, and peaceful, and comfortable, and safe. She felt that she could be herself without having to worry—or even care—about what the rest of the world thought. She felt that she could trust him—with everything. She felt… she felt like she'd never felt before. That sense of comfort, of safety and security that no one but her own father had managed to give her… it was there now—it was there, in his arms.

And it scared her. It scared the hell out of her. Because Sakura couldn't fall in love with him. She couldn't fool herself into thinking that he was beginning to have feelings for her, as well, that he felt the same connection that she did. Maybe he did. But then what? What was the point, when she was a prostitute and he was criminal? Every odd would be against them, even if they… even if they loved each other. But why was she even thinking about that? She was dreaming again, worrying about things that would never become reality.

She was unsure how, but she found herself on her back a while later, with him on top of her. When he broke the kiss, Sasuke rested his forehead against hers in a gesture so tender that it surprised both of them. Her eyelids flapped open gracefully with the action, her emerald eyes almost instantly meeting a pair of onyx ones. She detangled one of her arms from around his neck, unable to remember how they even got there, in the first place, and reached out to gently stroke his cheek with the back of her hand. His fingers ran slowly through the pink strands of hair at her temple as they continued to gaze into each other's eyes, neither of them willing to break the contact.

It was like time had stopped around them, like the entire world had disappeared. Not even the bright sunlight that continued to stream through the windows in soothing waves of heat seemed to bother them. In that moment, and for as long as it lasted, it was just the two of them.

And Sakura could have sworn, right then and there, that she had known Sasuke for an eternity.

Little did she know that the young Uchiha felt exactly the same.

"Why?"

His question managed to both surprise and confuse her, and her brows pulled down in a frown. "Why what?" she questioned softly, voice small and innocent.

"Why are you doing this?" he clarified, finally unable to resist his curiosity anymore. He had forced his mind to produce an answer, an explanation, a reason—anything that could possibly help him realize why she would chose to become involved in such a horrible business, but for the first time, he had come up blank. This—her—was unexplainable.

It took the pinkette a while to realize what he was talking about, and by the time her gaze rose to meet his again, she still couldn't understand why he would even care. But she took a deep breath and answered, nonetheless, "I need money." Her statement was blunt and simple, and although there was really no other way to say this, she soon realized that it had only served to confuse him more. Without a doubt, that was what he heard from all women. "I need to pay the college, the bills… I also have to send money to my mother, because she lives alone, and… well, she only has me," she clarified.

It was then, after hearing her continuation, that guilt began to slowly eat at his system. Sasuke was not known for being patient, and immediately after he had heard her first sentence—"I need money"—he had reached a conclusion, without thinking it through or waiting for another word to come out of her mouth. He had actually been on the verge of snapping at her—"Sure, I forgot. You just can't get enough clothes and jewelry, now can you?" That was the reason why every girl he knew had chosen to follow down this path.

He had hoped she was different… and she was. Because the pinkette had never once mentioned anything about clothes; instead, she mentioned college, and a mother. It was obvious that she wasn't planning on sticking around and sleeping with drug traffickers for long.

Sasuke liked that. He liked it a lot. It meant that she was not like other girls, that she was smart and that she knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life. It meant that the reason why she was here now wasn't because she wanted to, but because she needed to, in order to achieve her dreams.

"What are you studying?" he asked, feeling a sudden interest in her background flare to life inside of him.

"Medicine," she replied, smiling softly. The butterflies that erupted in her stomach as she realized that he was interested in what she did could not be denied, nor could they be ignored. "It's hard and tiring… but I like it a lot." She had wanted to become a doctor for as long back as she could remember. Her father had been one, and she had always admired what he did—that was probably one of the reasons why she wished to follow in his footsteps. "Um," she started, biting down on her lower lip. "Could you tell them to take me home…?"

It was not that she _wanted_ to go home, but having him ask her those questions had reminded her of the reason why she was there. And along with that, came the fact that she had an essay to complete, and an entire chapter to read.

Sasuke raised a curious eyebrow. "In a hurry?"

The pinkette rapidly shook her head. "No, of course not! It's just that… I have a few things to study…"

"It's Saturday," he reminded her in a bland tone.

"I know."

"Do you have an exam?"

"No, but…" She hesitated, before she reached the conclusion that honesty would be the best approach. "Well, I figured that if I'm doing _this_ in order to get money and pay for my studies, I might as well take them seriously."

"And yet, you can afford a day off," he stated with complete confidence, a smug smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Yes, but—"

"Here," he interrupted her as he rolled over, his arm reaching out towards the nightstand; he opened a drawer and then, almost immediately, slid it shut, before turning to face her once more.

Sakura eyed the object held in between his fingers carefully, trying to make sense of what it was. When her mind finally made connections, a grin broke on her face. "Credit card?" she asked, reaching out with shaking fingers.

"Aa," he responded. "Go wash up, and I'll tell one of the guards to take you to a mall."

Her eyes grew wide at his words. "A mall?" she asked, stunned.

Sasuke shrugged. "If you want."

Sakura wanted to laugh. If she wanted? What kind of question was that? _Of course_ she wanted. She had only been dreaming about walking into a mall with enough money in her purse for more than the occasional pair of jeans and sneakers ever since she was a little girl. That didn't mean she'd had an unhappy childhood—of course not. She'd had everything she wanted—but only as long as it was necessary, as well, and only as long as her father had lived. But then again, what girl wouldn't dream about being able to buy everything she wanted?

Unfortunately, life had taught her to be cautious, and she had learned to be more of a rational person, and less of a dreamer. She always thought of possible consequences before acting, and she knew she had other, more important things to do with the money she was given.

"But I—"

"You have enough money there," he assured her, almost as though he could read her mind and see all of her insecurities.

Her eyes widened again, though this time, she seemed more hopeful than confused. "So… that means that there is enough money there, so that," she paused, taking in a deep breath, "after paying the college, the bills, and sending money to my mother, I'll still have something left for shopping?" Her mind seemed to have trouble wrapping around that concept, but who could blame her? She had never had such a large amount of money at her disposal, and nor had she expected to ever have.

Ino had told her that these men were generous, that they treated them well and paid them even better, that they gave them presents and pampered them almost on a daily basis, but Sakura would have never imagined it would be up to _this_ level.

Sasuke smirked. "Aa," he answered.

"Really?" she asked, and smiled brightly.

All the Uchiha could do at that point was nod. Then he heard her squeal, and in the next moment, she was already upon him, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. Her actions were so quick, so unexpected, that his mind barely had time to process them. One second, she was clinging to him with all the force left in her small body, and the next, she was kissing him like there was no tomorrow, whispering as many 'thank you's' as she possibly could between breaths.

…What an interesting being she was.


	4. Of Questions and Answers

**Something More**  
**Chapter Four: Of Questions and Answers**

* * *

"Do you know why I've always had a problem with you going to college?"

Sakura heaved a sigh as she heard her best friend beginning to complain, once again, about her decision to continue her studies, and took a sip of her refreshing beverage in order to keep her mouth shut. Of course, the pinkette knew Ino wasn't actually _bothered_ by the idea of her attending university—neither of them had ever enjoyed having other people involved in their personal lives, and their personal decisions, so they had learned not to do that to each other—but that didn't mean she didn't grab every opportunity to point out just how different their views over life were.

Typical Ino, always willing to get on her nerves.

"Why?" Bored, she decided to humor her. "Enlighten me."

The answer came immediately. "Well, because it takes up too much of your free time—time that you should spend with me."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Ino, the only reason why you're being annoying and whiny and why you even _dared_ to cross the street and pick me up from my classes is because you want to hear everything that happened between Sasuke and I that night," she stated bluntly.

"And that morning!" the blonde supplied, not even making an effort to hide her true intentions. "I just—we didn't get to talk about it, and it's _killing_ me! All I know is that you went to fuck him, and that he most probably liked what you did to him, because he insisted you stayed with him the next morning!"

"Ino, I believe you know perfectly well what happened," she stated. "You don't have to be a genius to figure it out."

"Sooo," she drew the word out, throwing her a look. "You fucked him."

"Ugh, of course I _fucked_ him!" Sakura snapped, directing her most heated glare towards her friend. Although she could become quite violent when provoked, the pink-haired woman rarely lost her temper. Ino, however, was proving to be a bit too much with her questions and their obvious—not to mention embarrassing—answers. "That's why I went there, remember?"

"Geez, I know," the blonde replied, rolling her eyes. "I just want some details. Is that really too much to ask?"

"Details?" she stressed exasperatedly.

"Yes!" She shrugged. "Like, for example, how he treated you… Was he gentle? Did he pay attention to what you wanted—to what you needed? I just want to know if I was right to trust him." Deep inside, Ino knew she had been. Sasuke was a man of honor, so if he promised her that he'd take good care of the pinkette, however vague that promise might have been, then it was obvious he'd do exactly that, but he was also so cold and emotionless all the time, that she couldn't be sure what his conception of 'taking care of somebody' was.

Sakura sighed, taking a moment to calm down. Ino was simply looking after her—she couldn't be yelled at. "He was great, okay?" she finally relented with a slight roll of her eyes.

The blonde smirked. "And by 'great'… do you mean that he's taken care of you, or that he's an amazing sex-god?"

"Ino!" the pinkette hissed, keeping her voice as low as possible. "As much as you want to shut the world out at this moment, you have to remember that _we_ are in a _public place_. Control yourself!"

"But I just want to know!" she whined. "Every girls that's been with Sasuke told me he's—"

"Ino!"

"—okay, okay, that he's, um… very good at what he does. Is that true?"

Sakura let out an exasperated—yet defeated—sigh. "It's true, okay? It's true. I mean…" She paused, frowning down at her chocolate smoothie. "It's not like I have much experience in this domain, but… I guess it's true. How come you don't know that? So help me God, Ino, if you're doing this just to fluster me, I—"

"No, no," she assured her immediately, putting her hands up in her defense. "I really had no way of knowing that."

"Oh, come on! Don't tell me the first and last person you've slept with is your actual boyfriend!" Sakura exclaimed, rolling her eyes.

"I'm not," she answered. "But he _is_ the first drug trafficker I slept with. I won't say _the last_, 'cause you never know, but he sure was my first."

At that moment, Sakura was unsure of whether to appreciate her sincerity or smack her over the head for it.

Ino paused, frowned, and looked at her. "Are you _accusing_ me of having had sex with Sasuke?"

"God, Ino." The pinkette rolled her eyes at her choice of words. "I'm not _accusing_ you of anything. I simply found it strange that you claimed not to know anything about Sasuke… in _that_ domain, considering for how long you've been involved in this," she explained. "And what about Temari? Tenten? Don't you trust them?"

"I do trust them," she answered. "But they have no idea what to tell me."

Sakura frowned. "You mean that…?"

"Nope." She shook her head. "Neither of them slept with Sasuke, either."

"Then who the hell did Sasuke sleep with?" The words were out of her mouth before her brain could even register them, and even though it was hardly like her to be so straightforward, Sakura knew it was the only way she would get the answers she so desperately wanted.

"Sak, we are not the only ones involved in this business," Ino answered. "True, we are more special. We're… we're those girls they know they can trust, those girls they'll always call again, those girls they'll invite over even when they have no reason to celebrate. We're… their friends." She frowned at her own words. "Okay, that would be a stretch, but we're close. However, there are girls who only do this once, twice, because they need money, because they want to rebel and don't know how. You've been at the party, so you've seen it for yourself. Do you honestly think there are so many girls that do this all the time? Do you think these guys can afford to trust such a large number of people?"

It made sense, that could not be denied. After all, their business was anything but legal. The police—and not only the police—were after them, and if they weren't careful, prison cells were awaiting them. There was no way they were not aware of that, so there was no doubt—Ino was right.

"Sasuke sleeps with those girls. That's just his style, he never sleeps with a girl twice."

Sakura frowned, and sent a questioning look in the direction of her friend, which she soon saw, and hastened to explain.

"It's not like we go there and sleep with them randomly, Sakura," she said. "That would be… plain weird. For example, that man I told you about, Neji, has been sleeping with TenTen for a while now, and no one's dared to even flirt with her in the meantime. It's some kind of… I don't know how to say this—unwritten, unspoken, unmentioned rule. You can realize that, this way, it's inevitable for a relationship to form between us—meaning, between one of us and that particular man. My assumption is that that's exactly what Sasuke doesn't want: a relationship."

"A relationship with one of us," Sakura corrected softly as realization dawned on her.

"Huh?"

"Maybe he _does_ want a relationship, maybe he _does_ want a girlfriend," she explained. "But not with one of us. He has high standards, and that's understandable," she concluded with a shrug, looking down as her hands played with the hem of her dress.

"Maybe," the blonde answered, her voice soft. "Does this… does this bother you, Sakura?" Although she had, more than once, attempted to encourage her friend by telling her that she had all the chances of becoming his girlfriend, both of them were perfectly aware of the fact that that was all it had been—encouragement. Ino would never give her false hopes or push her towards something that could hurt her; and Sasuke could—Sasuke could break her.

Upon hearing that, her head snapped up, and she immediately denied, "No, of course not. It's his life. Besides, I have my standards, too." She did, for everything in her life, and Sasuke's profession certainly didn't reach them. Despite that, however, Ino's words seemed to have had an impact on her, an impact that was much more significant than she would have wanted and than she was even ready to admit.

_"That's just his style, he never sleeps with a girl twice."_

They continued to ring inside her head even as they stood up from the bench they had been occupying and began their journey through the park, towards the pinkette's apartment. Truth to be told, it was hard for her to justify the uneasiness she felt towards what Ino had told her. There was no denying the fact that she felt attracted to Sasuke, and there was no denying the fact that what had happened between them that night had been wonderful; she would never forget him, but he was already part of her past.

_She_ was definitely part of _his_ past. She doubted he had even once thought about her after she had left that morning, and although he had crossed her mind a million times during the last couple of days… that was normal, right? It was normal for him to mean more to her than she would ever even dream of meaning to him. Sakura had never expected to be any different from all the women that did this, and even if it still hurt to have Ino tell her she had been nothing more than a one-night-stand, she knew the pain would soon pass; she was the one who chose this path, circumstances be let aside, and she would go through with her decision.

"Anyway, what happened afterwards?" the blonde asked, her anxious tone snapping her out of her thoughts.

Sakura frowned, confused. "After what?"

"After we left," she clarified. "What did you do?"

"Well…" She paused and breathed in deeply before continuing, "We talked for a while. Then he gave me a credit card and—"

"A credit card?" Ino interrupted her, coming to an abrupt stop with an incredulous expression plastered on her face.

The pink-haired woman frowned and halted her movements, gazing behind her at her friend. "Yes, a credit card," she answered, slowly, hesitantly, unsure of what to make out of her reaction.

A long moment passed before Ino recovered and resumed walking. "Okaaay," she drew out the word, frowning. "That's weird."

"Weird how?" Sakura asked, confused.

"Well, that's not the way it's done," the blonde answered. "I mean, _we_ have credit cards, but that's because we've been into thing for a long time and because they trust us." She paused for a moment, before she corrected herself, "Well, that goes only for Tenten and Temari, 'cause my situation is a little more… special."

Sakura nearly rolled her eyes. Leave it to Ino to consider having a relationship with a drug trafficker as _special_; in her opinion, _illegal_ would have fitted better.

"He saw me with you, Ino," she said, shrugging. "And you talked to him. Besides, I told him… I mean, I somehow let him know that I have no intention of stopping anytime soon—or rather, no option. I guess he made connections."

Skepticism remained etched on her features despite her logical conclusion. Ino knew perfectly well how paranoid her boyfriend and his colleagues were when it came to their safety and the safety of their business. They never took chances; they were incredibly selective when it came to the people they chose to trust, and they only chose them when they had proved their worth through and through. The fact that the Uchiha—him, of all the people—had decided that he could trust her after a simple night spent together, meant more than the pinkette realized, more than Ino herself could possibly comprehend. And it meant that there was a possibility that he could want her back, want to see her again.

"Yeah, I guess," she answered, deciding against voicing her opinion out loud. Her friend was hardly accustomed to the environment she had thrust herself into, and not only that, but she had seen clearly how much it had bothered her to hear that Sasuke used women the way he did; the last thing Ino wanted was to lead her into believing that she might be different, that she might be special, when there was no way for her—or for anybody else, for that matter—to tell what the Uchiha had his mind set on. And the blonde would not take such a risk, not when it came to her best friend. Besides, as little as she knew of him, she believed it was enough to be right in her assumptions that he would never change—that he would never _want_ to change.

"So," she started after a minute of silence, in a much more cheerful tone, changing the subject, "Did you go shopping?"

Sakura smiled, shaking her head at the excitement clearly displayed in her blue eyes. "Yes, I went shopping. He told one of his guards to take me to a mall."

"No way!" the blonde gasped, mouth nearly dropping open in disbelief.

"Yes way," she laughed. "He asked me if I wanted to go, and I said yes, obviously. So, he told one of his guards to accompany me and then drive me home."

"Oh my God!" Ino exclaimed, her hands coming up to cover her gaping mouth. "You went shopping! Without me! Did you buy heaps and heaps of clothes? Did you? How many did you buy? Is this new?" she asked question after question without even giving her a chance to answer, one of her hands reaching out to pull on the material of her orange dress.

"Stop it!" Sakura laughed, swatting her hand away. "Yes, it is. And yes, I went shopping without you; we've already established that. And yes, I bought heaps of clothes." She rolled her eyes before barking out a laugh and covering her face with her hands. "It was terrible! I swear, I felt as if I was you—like, obsessed!"

"I am _not_ obsessed!" the blonde exclaimed, joining her in laughter. "I just happen to enjoy shopping! Like every other normal woman does, for that matter."

"I know," she answered. "And I, who thought I was the exception."

At that, Ino rolled her eyes. "There is no exception, honey," she said, grinning. "But oh, we have to celebrate this!"

"Celebrate what?" Sakura raised an eyebrow. "The day when I finally realized that I'm no different from any other woman?"

"Exactly!"

"Go away," she laughed, shaking her head.

"No, really, I was thinking about dropping by their house, anyway," Ino said, her tone turning serious. At her friend's questioning look, she explained, "You've seen their pool, right? Well, I wanted to go there and have a little swim, soak up a bit of sun… you know, relax. But now you can come with me and we'll celebrate!"

Sakura frowned. "I… see your point. I do. But… why there?" Being a medical student had not had the effect that Ino claimed it had on her social life; save for the times when she had exams, Sakura was always willing to spend time with her friends. Now, she saw no reason whatsoever to refuse her offer to celebrate. But she was in no way comfortable with returning to that mansion so soon, and that was that.

A part of her screamed at her to accept, reminding her that, in spite of all the lies she tried to feed herself, she wanted to see him again. Another part, though, the more rational, and admittedly, the more cowardly one, told her to refuse. It told her to never return if she could avoid that. But Sakura knew that option didn't lie within her hands—not at this point in her life.

"The pool, Sakura," Ino reminded her and mumbled something about not being paid enough attention.

"You have the entire ocean, Ino. You don't _need_ their pool."

"But I _want_ their pool!" she whined, a step away from stomping her foot down like a spoiled child. "Come on, no one will be there, in any case. These guys are always gone during the week, doing… you know, business."

"Then who will let us in? And how do you know they want you to use their pool, in the first place?"

"I already told you, woman," she said, rolling her eyes. "They trust us. They don't care if we use their pool, because they know it won't harm them in any way."

For a moment, she was silent, contemplating, weighing her options. "I don't know, Ino," she eventually said, insecure. "Maybe it's best for you to go by yourself, satisfy your craving of that pool, and we'll celebrate some other time."

"Sakura, what exactly is with you and that house?" the blonde demanded, raising a curious eyebrow. Surely, Sakura was aware of the fact that, one day, sooner rather than later, she would have to return there. "Are you trying to avoid a certain somebody?"

Sakura didn't miss the implication of her words.

So, later, she would tell herself she accepted because she wanted to prove her wrong, and not because she wanted to see him again, at least one more time.

* * *

For some reason or another, Sasuke had not expected to see the mysterious pink-haired woman again. Granted, she had told him it was necessary for her to do what she had done, which was a reassurance in itself that she _would_ be back, because she had no other option, but even so, his mind remained unable to make the needed connections.

She didn't belong there. That was clear to him. She was too pure, too innocent; she had too many dreams, and such an environment would only shred them to pieces. He knew that perfectly well, from experience, even, and something told him she was also well-aware of it. But she seemed to have chosen her priorities a long time ago, and was ready to do anything and everything in order to achieve all of her goals, as well as stand the consequences of her actions. That to be told, at this point, he had all the faith in the world that she would succeed.

She had told him she wanted to become a medic, and believe it or not, he actually thought that suited her perfectly. Sasuke had known this woman for a total of five days, had spent less then twenty-four hours in her presence, and already their lives seemed so thoroughly interlaced… It was unlike anything he had ever experienced.

She was constantly on his mind, and the few things he knew about her were relentlessly used to form theory after theory; never-ending questions haunted his days, while her green eyes and pink hair haunted his nights. He had paid more attention to her every gesture than he had to any other woman per total. Because she was… different. In his world, people like her barely existed. Which only reinforced his belief that she had absolutely nothing to do there.

And yet, he found himself now, on the balcony, leaning with his arms over the railing—and watching her.

She was currently fighting—if it could even be classified as such, since they were both smiling—with Ino, with the two other women of their group laughing in the background. Although he was close enough to hear what they were saying, Sasuke found himself uninterested in that; _she_ was more important. So, he dedicated himself to trying to find out exactly what was so special about her, exactly what made him feel so… so _drawn_ to her.

She was beautiful, that much was obvious, but she was far from perfect, and she certainly wasn't the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. The only special aspect about her that he could think of was most likely her hair, which suited her better than he would have ever imagined possible. She _was_ a change of scenery, there was no denying that, and she did represent a breakout from his usual day-to-day life. Sasuke wasn't sure what he wanted _from _her, but he was certain that he wanted _her_ again.

Which was far from a conclusion and strange in itself, because he had never felt something akin to it before. Even though he was an open-minded man, not one who believed life was too short to sleep with the same woman twice, he had never actually done that. For him, women meant sexual relief and nothing more. He had never felt the need to change that. He had never wanted a relationship. He had never even wanted to know more than a woman's first name.

But this one… this one was different, and as much as it terrified him, he had to admit that if someone could make him break his own rules, could make him knock down the some of the walls he had built around him, that someone would be her. Maybe she simply had a way with people that enabled her to unsettle them like she had unsettled him?

A loud squeal brought him back from his thoughts, and his attention immediately turned to the girls below him. It seemed as though Sakura had finally had enough, because Ino was now in the pool, looking both shocked and angered, and fixing her with a death-glare. In a rush of sudden movements, she grabbed her hand—because she stood, quite foolishly, too close to the edge of the pool—and pulled her into the water with her, earning a scream of surprise. When the pinkette resurfaced, she looked every bit as shocked as her friend had, and directed a death-glare of her own.

"Ino!" she hissed, sounding more annoyed than angered. "I told you not to do that! What about my make-up now?"

Sasuke very nearly chuckled at that. He did allow, however, his lips to stretch into a small smirk. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her make-up.

"It's not my fault you're stupid," the blonde replied with a laugh, to which Sakura rolled her eyes and swam to the edge of the pool. "It's called waterproof mascara. Heard of it?"

"Shut up, pig," he heard her mutter, and his smirk widened. "Where's the bathroom?"

"Enter the house and you'll find it for sure."

Sasuke could have sworn he had no idea what he was doing as he turned around and stormed towards the staircase. All he knew was that something was pulling him in her direction and there was nothing he could do to resist it.

Although the mansion was large, it took him no longer than two minutes to find her, standing in front of the mirror in one of the many bathrooms, the door left wide open. Her hair was up, twisted on the top of her head, with only a few rebel strands falling around her face. Her hands were working behind her neck, readjusting the top of her black bikini.

She didn't seem to have noticed him, not even when he stepped inside the room, so he used the element of surprise to his advantage, quietly slipping his arms around her waist as soon as he had reached her and pulling her flush to his chest. He buried his face into the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply, her sweet, unique scent immediately invading his senses and clouding his mind.

The pinkette gasped, having obviously not expected that, and quickly turned her head to look at him, being unable to see him in the mirror due to the angle he had moved them to.

"Sasuke?" she asked in a soft, almost incredulous tone, as her hands fell from around her neck to where his arms were wrapped around her. As he gave a grunt in response, her body relaxed in an instant, and she turned so that she was facing him, her hands now coming to rest on his chest. "What are you doing here?" she questioned, frowning slightly in confusion.

She never received an answer.

All he did was gaze deep into her eyes for a moment, before bending his head and pressing his lips to hers.

It was only a matter of seconds before she realized that she could even care less about that answer. He was there, period. The rest were details.


	5. Don't Listen to Them

**Something More**  
**Chapter Five: Don't Listen to Them**

* * *

The warm, sun-bathed room fell silent as their breathing slowly returned to normal. Lying next to each other in a tangle of limbs, they both chose to remain silent and enjoy the moment, knowing, deep inside their minds and hearts, that they would soon have to part. For some reason or another, neither of them wanted to even consider that, the concept of leaving that bed seeming to be too far away for them to grasp at that point.

Eventually, they both brushed it off as a side-effect of their post-orgasmic haze.

Unconsciously almost, Sasuke ran his hand over her back, gently brushing the length of her spine; his fingers stopped to caress the base of her neck for a moment, before retreating and traveling back down. The pinkette sighed quietly at his actions and lightly kissed his neck, her eyes shut in contentment. Wrapped up in his strong arms, she could have sworn, yet again, that she had never felt safer and happier. She briefly wondered if one could get addicted to such a sensation.

As their bodies calmed down and the sweat cooled on them, the room gradually began to feel colder. Being smaller than him, Sakura was the first to feel the chill, which caused her to instinctually cuddle closer to him as a slight shiver traveled down her spine.

"Are you cold?" he asked as he noticed this, his lips brushing against her forehead.

"A little," she admitted in a soft whisper.

Upon hearing that, Sasuke gently untangled their limbs and sat up, reaching for the neatly folded blanket at the end of the bed; he shook it once and, as he lied back down, threw it over both of them. As soon as his head touched the pillow, the pinkette wrapped herself around him once again, throwing an arm over his toned stomach, a leg over his own, and burying her face into the crook of his neck.

It occurred to her then, that under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have had the courage to act like she was, so boldly—and almost possessively—towards such a dangerous man, even if he _was_ the one she had lost her virginity to and had spent a glorious morning with only a couple of days back. She was much too shy and reserved for that, and whether she liked it or not, Sasuke was still pretty much a stranger to her.

But now, as they lied together, tangled like they were under the safety of his covers… now it felt alright. It felt normal, like second-nature almost.

Given the type of relationship they were meant to build and everything she had been told beforehand about his work and his acquaintances, she had been scared that she would be as stiff as a board, completely paralyzed by fear and uncertainly and nervousness, and had even gone as far as worrying that he wouldn't even glance at someone who looked as though they were suffering from a mental disorder, no matter what he had promised Ino. It was that what her thoughts had revolved around while she had been making her way towards the mysterious man relaxing on the balcony. There was no denying the fact that she had been surprised—in a pleasant way, of course—to discover the exact opposite.

She wondered how much her sense of comfort would actually last.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked after what seemed like hours of silence, her fingers tracing random patterns on his chest, under the blanket. Sasuke grunted his approval, making her break into a small smile. "What's so special about me?" she questioned, unable to hold her curiosity at bay.

Not understanding what she was talking about, the Uchiha furrowed his brows, his arm involuntary tightening around her waist. "What do you mean by that?" he quietly asked for clarification.

Sakura took a moment to think about her answer. "I mean… please don't get upset because of this, but Ino and I have had a conversation earlier today… a conversation that revolved around you." She paused for a moment, waiting for a reaction from his part, but when it didn't come, she continued. "There was one thing in particular that she said and that caught my attention." Raising her head from his shoulder to lean her temple on her elbow, she looked at him in the eye, biting her lower lip lightly. "She told me you never slept with the same woman twice. And I… It's not my problem. But being here now… I can't help but wonder why," she explained, shrugging.

Strangely enough, Sasuke was not surprised to hear her question. He had known Ino for quite a long time now, and he was perfectly aware of how much of a big mouth she owned. That woman knew so much about them—both as a group and as individuals—that if she and Shikamaru were to ever break up, the realization that she would have to be killed—or somehow silenced—wouldn't take long in dawning on each and every single one of them.

But Sasuke knew she would never pass up information about them, so if she had taken the liberty of telling Sakura a couple of things about him and his lifestyle, it had only been because she was her best friend, because she had asked and because she trusted her.

Even so, he found himself strangely annoyed with the situation she had caused. The information she had given the pinkette in his arms was shallow, incomplete, based on suppositions only. Ino didn't know who he was; she only knew the pieces of himself that he chose to show her, and that didn't give her the right to share them with anybody else.

"You shouldn't listen to everything they say," he finally answered, running a hand up her back once more. "They might seem like they know me, but in reality, they don't. At all."

* * *

The two of them spent the rest of the day—and night—together. The girls never once came up to look for her, which made Sakura wonder whether they'd known from the very beginning that Sasuke would be there and that they would somehow end up together. The Uchiha was quick to push those thoughts to the back of her mind, though. Apparently, he didn't like not having all of her attention focused solely on him. And truth to be told, she didn't mind that at all.

At first, the pinkette had thought that the only thing that could possibly exist between them was sex. To be perfectly honest, she still believed that. It was her definition of 'sex' that had changed. Because Sasuke had made her realize it was much more than simple physical contact and gratification. When connected to him, she felt safe and loved and cared for—all to such an extent that it was almost overwhelming. But the good type of overwhelming—the type that she was slowly coming to love.

They parted in the early hours of morning, after having spent most of the night awake—talking, touching, kissing. Sasuke made her feel more protected than anyone had ever managed. It was as if he used all of his power to create a comfortable cocoon around them where she didn't have absolutely anything to worry about. She didn't know whether that was a projection of her own of what she knew about him—that he was powerful and influential, facts he had proven to her the moment he handed her that credit card with so much ease—or if he was truly capable of protecting her from the entire world, but she didn't care. Sakura was a rational person, but she always listened to what her heart had to say. She had found in Sasuke something she had never expected to find in a man, and she wanted to hold on to it. In the end, that was all that mattered.

She was taken home by the same man that had accompanied her to the mall the week before; she soon found out that his name was Daichi and that he was one of Sasuke's most trusted people. He hadn't addressed her the last time, but he did now; the words he spoke were few, but they were enough for her to realize that was actually quite nice.

She thought it was amusing, truth to be told. She had entered their world with all the pre-made conceptions that could possibly occur to a person, with every existing prejudice about criminals, and ended up being proved wrong to nearly all of them. It made her think about how shallow the world actually was, how entirely based on appearances instead of pure honesty. Even she was forced to wear a mask most of the time—a mask that foolishly led people into believing that everything was great in her life, when in fact, things were so far from that it was laughable.

Well, that… until now. She couldn't for the life of her figure out why, but in Sasuke's presence, she felt like she could be herself; she felt like she could tell him anything—she knew he wouldn't judge her, just like she had learned not to judge him. And it seemed like, when she left his place that morning, she'd taken that feeling with her. She felt much more comfortable in her own skin now, even when she was miles away from him. That could be easily seen in the way she joked freely with Daichi for a couple of minutes.

It seemed like the opposite of her expectation had occurred again, but this time, she knew better than to worry about it. For the first time ever, she actually felt glad things didn't end up the way she had thought. Sometimes, change was good, she decided. And this was one of those times.

As the car pulled up in front of her apartment complex, Sakura noticed a group of girls sitting on a nearby bench. She recognized her friends in an instant, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes as realization dawned on her. True to her suspicions, as soon as her feet touched the ground, they were surrounding her, sly grins decorating their faces.

"What?" the pinkette asked, even though it wasn't truly necessary, for she already knew the answer. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "I wonder why," she scoffed. Then her grin returned, and it seemed like she was trying hard to keep herself from jumping up and down in excitement. "You just have to tell us _everything_! And don't you dare leave _one_ detail out, 'cause I'll eventually find out!"

"And?" Sakura asked as she placed her hands on her hips, raising her eyebrows in silent challenge.

"And I'll hunt you down and force it out of you!" she replied, smiling proudly as the pinkette laughed.

It was a very rare occurrence to see Sakura depressed or in a bad mood, but hearing her laugh freely and genuinely was probably just as rare. That was the reason why Ino secretly congratulated herself every time she managed to elicit such a reaction.

"Well then," the pinkette started, sighing, "I must say I'm sorry. My classes start in an hour, but first I want to take a shower and change my clothes… really, I don't have time to chat with you girls right now."

"Oh, don't worry," Temari interfered, "we'll be waiting for you right in front of the University."

"Yeah," Tenten agreed. "That way, you won't miss us. Or rather, _we_ won't miss _you_."

Sakura surprised them all by laughing once more. "I wouldn't want that, now would I?" she inquired with a hint of sarcasm, shaking her head lightly.

* * *

Back inside her apartment, the pinkette took a quick shower, before proceeding to dry her hair; she pulled it up in a neat ponytail once she was finished, and then moved to her closet, mentally going through her wardrobe. She had to admit, even though she had never been a materialist, she rather enjoyed the benefits that came along with having plenty of money. At least now she had the chance to actually _choose_ her outfits, not to already know in advance what she would wear every day of the week.

A few moments spent contemplating, and she settled for a dark blue skirt and a matching, loose blouse, along with her favorite pair of white flats. Unless necessary, she preferred not to wear heels; they were uncomfortable and she considered them to be too elegant for her day to day activities. She traded her black bag for her white one, hugged the books she needed for her classes to her chest, and then exited her apartment, heading for the University.

Classes were boring, to say the least. She loved medicine, she truly did, but she was anxious to trip over something new, to find a challenge; the first year of college barely scratched the surface of what she had signed up for and she sometimes felt as though she could hardly wait for her residency to start so that she could actually help people, and not just study. Besides, she had already read about the majority of the things the professors were lecturing now, so her boredom was well-grounded.

Unlike other times, though, when she would still try to pay attention in hopes to find out something new, today she spent most of her classes thinking about Sasuke.

This man treated her better than anybody had in a very long time, and although she had never been—and had never expected to be—pampered as such, she couldn't deny the fact that she actually quite liked it. Then again, what woman wouldn't, in her place? It wasn't wrong, she told herself; she was merely enjoying the benefits of her so-called job.

Thinking back to how much effort Ino had had to put into convincing her to become involved in this business, she almost wanted to laugh. She had been so afraid of what she might find that the meeting between her and Sasuke had come down to one relative aspect called 'chance'. Had it not been for her blonde friend catching her in a rather determined mood with only a hint of vulnerability peeking through, she would have probably changed her mind and never gone to that party—or to any other.

Now she knew for sure that if she had the opportunity to go back in time, she wouldn't change anything. It didn't matter that he didn't have feelings for her; he made her happy and he kept her safe—and to her, that meant more than anything else.

True to their word, the girls were waiting for her right at the entrance of the building. They all broke into sly grins when they saw her, a thing Sakura couldn't help but roll her eyes at. When were they going to learn that they would never manage to force her into doing something she didn't want to? She was just too stubborn to let herself be consumed by their never-ending questions, by their puppy-eyes and pouty lips, or even by their threats.

As soon as she reached them, Ino grabbed her upper arm and began dragging her towards the nearest café, the excitement obvious both in her eyes and in her posture. The other two girls followed them happily, and they chatted about insignificant things for a while, until they reached their destination and started interrogating Sakura.

"Okay, now you have no way out. There is a reason why none of us came after you yesterday evening, and that's because we want to know _everything_," Ino announced, emphasizing her words by lightly slamming a hand on the table.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "If by 'everything' you mean every single little detail regarding what Sasuke and I did in his room, then I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to disappoint you," she replied smartly, leaning back into her seat and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh, come on," Temari groaned. "Don't be unfair! We have the right to know about Sasuke's skills in bed!"

"Is that so?" the pinkette inquired, raising an amused eyebrow.

Temari nodded enthusiastically, but it was Tenten who spoke next. "I'll tell you about Neji, if you want to," she offered.

"No, thank you," Sakura replied, shaking her head in amusement.

"So," Ino started, her tone much more serious than it had been only moments ago. "How is he treating you?"

The blonde had known, from the very first moment Sakura told her she had been given a credit card, that her friend could very well represent something else, something more for the Uchiha than the average woman. She had received her proof the day before, when she realized that she wasn't going to come back from the bathroom anytime soon.

It was obvious who had taken her away; had it been any other person, Sakura would have never accepted to do anything with him, no matter the quantity of money she was offered. She simply hated being caught unprepared. Was someone to want to do something with her, they had to tell her about it at least a few days prior, so that she could think the idea through, incorporate it in her schedule, and come to terms with it.

Things seemed to be different with Sasuke. In a matter of mere days, he had managed to change her. Ino would have liked to be able to ignore the fact that the change was for the better, but she found herself unable to do so. The truth was that Sakura needed to loosen up and realize that not everybody was out there to hurt her. She would have never expected her to realize that once she became involved in this business, but she wasn't about to complain about it now.

She did wish it hadn't been Sasuke who'd opened her eyes, though. Although she'd trusted him with her best friend from the very first moment, the blonde happened to find his reputation, combined with the effect he so obviously had on her, to be quite unsettling. She had always been well-aware of the fact that he would, sooner or later, cause her pain; things would have been much easier if the pinkette hadn't been given the chance to grow attached to him in the meantime, though.

"You asked that before," Sakura pointed out, a small smile playing on her features. "Don't you think you're being a little overprotective?"

Ino scoffed. "Oh, please," she said, waving a hand in the air. "I'm simply trying to find out if he's keeping his promise." Expressing her true feelings had never been her forte, so she preferred to deny everything her friends said in regard to it. It was a good thing that they knew her well enough to be able to tell, by now, whenever she did so.

"He is," Sakura replied softly, after a few moments of silence. "I've never felt so cared for in my entire life." She paused for a moment, before chuckling lightly. "Okay, so that sounded weird. But still… I don't know. I guess that's just the way I feel."

"Sakura—" her blonde friend tried to speak, but she cut her off.

"Please, can we not talk about this right now? I know I'm not supposed to grow attached to him, but it's just impossible for me to sleep with somebody and not feel anything _here_," she said, placing her hand over her heart. "It's not love or anything like that, but it's there. And as long as I'm with him, it's going to remain there. Neither you, nor I, can do anything about it, girls."

"Hey, it's alright," Tenten soothed, reaching over the table to take one of Sakura's hands in hers. "Ino's just worried about you. Although… I don't think she truly has a reason to be."

"What is that supposed to mean?" the blonde in question hissed, straightening in her seat and sending a small glare in her friend's direction.

"She's happy, Ino," Tenten replied, her voice soft. "Can't you see? That's all that matters in this miserable life. Even if your worst fears come true and he ends up hurting her in the end, she deserves these few moments of happiness—happiness that _he_ makes her feel."

Although she knew, deep inside her, that her friend was right, Ino hid that very carefully, refusing to let go of her hostility towards the Uchiha. "Tenten—"

"Girls," Sakura said, interrupting Ino for the second time, "I know you're all worried about me, and I appreciate that, really. But I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself—I can make my own decisions." She sighed. "Some of you probably won't like the sounds of this, but Sasuke… I feel like he's the best thing that's happened to me in a while. And I've decided to hold on to him for as long as possible."

* * *

**A/N: First of all, I want to apologize for the unbelievably long wait. I have received a lot of reviews and PMs asking when I was planning to update and I don't know if I managed to answer them all. But here it is. Finally, a new chapter! Hopefully, I'm not too late and you're still interested in how the plot will play out. **

**What I'm having a bit of trouble with right now is Sakura's character, so I'm going to ask for your help. I think it's because I've distanced myself from this story that I feel like her thoughts and emotions are a bit jumbled up. I'm trying to justify her actions and I hope it's working, but if you notice any discrepancy, please let me know! I'm a bit more confident now that I've gotten this chapter out, but I still have my doubts. That's why I'll be working on building up her character for the next couple of chapters.**

**Anyway, you can find all the outfits on Flickr, as usual.**

**Thank you all for your continuous support! I am planning on juggling between this story and Miss Independent this upcoming year. (Meaning, I can only guess, from September onwards.)**

**Please review! **


	6. Open Up

**Something More  
Chapter Six: Open Up**

* * *

In the course of the following weeks, Sasuke's and Sakura's relationship began to develop—in such a short time, it grew into something more than either of them had expected, contrary to what people, who were quick to say that the young Uchiha would very soon find himself another woman, had had in mind.

Sakura had been right in her assumptions: he _had_ called her again—and again, and again, and again.

Hard as it was, they managed to fall into a routine, one that was comfortable for both of them, even though it hardly provided them with enough time to spend with one another. Sakura would now come to the mansion every evening and would spend the entire night with Sasuke, who, in return, would ensure that she always got to her classes in time. The only occasions when their routine was broken was when the pinkette had too much to study or when the Uchiha was gone on one of his 'missions'—as she had come to call them.

This was one of those times.

…Or was it?

Thursday evening found Sakura in her apartment, curled up on the couch with a mountain of books piled up beside her. She had an exam the following day, and although she had studied for it in due time, her wish—the one regarding receiving a challenge—seemed to have finally been granted. Of course, there was no denying the fact that she loved making the extra effort, but there was also no denying the fact that… well, being caught unprepared was, for the lack of a better word, annoying, especially when she had already made plans with Sasuke. To be perfectly honest, she had started to slowly warm up to the idea of having a lot of free time on her hands—time that she would spend with him.

But then again, this _was_ the path she had chosen. This was the real life she had wanted to live, while Sasuke… Sasuke remained a beautiful dream—one of those dreams that one happened to have over and over again, until it suddenly disappeared and left them empty on the inside and yearning for more. She was well-aware of that fact. She had _always_ been well-aware of that fact, ever since the beginning. But that didn't mean she didn't hope it wouldn't end so quickly, and especially not because she had too much to study and too little time to satisfy him.

Sighing at the realization that she had once again caught herself thinking about him when she should have been studying, Sakura turned her attention back to the book in her hands. Having read a lot and spent a lot of time with her father in the hospital, most of the course made sense to her. _Most_ of it being the keyword in that sentence, of course, because there was _something_ that simply refused to click, despite the fact that she had been reading the same paragraph over and over again for almost an entire hour. It was frustrating, alright.

The soft vibration of her phone against her leg broke her concentration, but she didn't take her eyes off the book as she absentmindedly flipped it open and pressed the accept button.

"Hello?" she said, distracted. She had been sure it was either Ino or one of the other girls, since they were the only ones who called to check up on her every once in a while, but they never had anything serious to say, only gossip, and she hardly cared about that.

"_Sakura."_ It was _his_ husky voice that sounded through the phone, though, ripping a gasp from her throat and causing her eyes to widen.

Instinctively, she straightened her posture, now happening to find her hunched-over frame entirely unattractive. Because even though she knew he had no way of seeing her, he still had that effect on her—that effect that gave her confidence, that made her feel as though she was much, much better than she actually was, that made her believe that she was strong, so strong that she could make it through anything.

As strange as it might sound, Sakura had come to respect Sasuke with every fiber of her being. She respected him for who he was and what he had managed to build in life, because during these past couple of weeks, she had learned that breaking the law did not grant anyone an easy life. Some might question the way she had come to that conclusion, because he had never once mentioned anything about himself whatsoever—other than the answers he gave to her occasional, harmless questions—but she supposed she could simply… read it in his eyes—in those beautiful, coal-black eyes that, although cold, showed the slightest hint of weariness and unhappiness. If one looked carefully enough, they could find it.

But she doubted he had ever allowed anybody to look at him so closely in the eye. And because of that, she felt special.

Well, because of that, and because he was currently on the phone with her, of course.

Her perverted inner self was jumping up and down with excitement at the prospect of him calling her, and although the rational part of her reminded her that she would have to refuse him for the first time, she had very, very little time left until she snapped and actually _started_ jumping up and down like a bouncy-ball.

"Sasuke," she greeted back, trying hard to keep her emotions from showing in her voice. In the end, though, she realized she had failed miserably at that task. "How are you?"

She could almost see him rolling his eyes at her formal tone and question, and she smiled. From the very first night they had spent together, Sasuke had made it clear that he did not appreciate her treating him like a stranger, and that there was no need for such formalities when they were about to sleep together. Back then, she had blushed. Now… not so much. It seemed like he had managed to chase away all of her innocence—and she didn't mind one bit.

"_Sakura,"_ he warned, and in that moment, she felt sure that she was the only one who could detect the playful hint in his voice. Stupidly enough, it made her heart swell with pride. _"Can you come over? I'll send Daichi for you in ten minutes, alright?"_

One of the many things she liked about him was that he always asked her before he made any type of decision; she would do anything he wanted her to do, but the choice was never ripped away from her. Only God knew how much she wished she could say 'yes' and sleep in his arms that night. Her head was pounding with the amount of studying she had done, and her eyes were hurting for being fixed on a book for so long; her back suddenly began to ache because of the position she had spent so much time in, and her heart… her heart was beating so frantically that Sakura almost took pity on it. It was almost ridiculous, wasn't it, how every fiber of her being reacted to his voice and began to yearn for his touch.

"No, Sasuke," she answered regretfully, shaking her head even though he couldn't see her. "I'm sorry, but I can't come over tonight."

There was a slight pause on the other end, and for a moment, she feared he might have taken her words the wrong way and thought she wanted to put an end to their relationship.

"I have an exam tomorrow," she hastened to explain, "and there are some things here and I don't quite understand yet."

This time, his reply was instantaneous. _"Come over, then,"_ he encouraged. _"I'll see what I can do to help you."_

Sakura smiled, resisting the urge to squeal at how incredibly sweet he could sometimes be. She had a feeling he really wouldn't appreciate that.

"I would really, really like that," she admitted. "But I'm afraid that, the moment I step through that door, I'm going to forget all about my exam. You know I can't think when you're beside me."

"_And if I promise I won't try to distract you in any way?"_ he offered, sounding amused. _"I'm not that insatiable—I can control myself. And for information, my mother was a nurse. So, I happen to know quite a bit about medicine."_

It was the first time he willingly shared information about his family with her, and Sakura found herself strangely pleased because of it. It was as though his words were the only proof she needed in order to realize that he really did trust her, just like she trusted him, and that maybe, just maybe, she might also have an effect on him—one that was quite similar to the one he had on her.

After all, neither of them was an incredibly open person who would go around telling everybody about their lives; it was simply not the way they were, and the fact that they had opened up to each other like that was, in her opinion, a little miracle waiting to happen.

"Okay, then," she finally agreed, smiling. "I guess I don't really have a choice."

* * *

An hour passed, and Sakura was crossing the threshold to Sasuke's bedroom. He had met her at the gates and sent her upstairs with the mention that he would be there in another minute, seeing as he had something to discuss with one of his partners.

With a soft sigh, she crossed the room and took a seat on his king-sized bed, bending down at the waist to remove the strappy sandals Ino had given to her as a present.

They were not the first item that she received from the blonde, because she insisted that she should always be prepared—and thus showered her with expensive birthday presents, with elegant clothing and jewelry, even though it was clear that Sakura had nowhere to wear them to. For her, a pair of jeans, a shirt, and some flats was the standard outfit.

That seemed to have changed since she met Sasuke, though. For some reason or another, she always took care of how she looked now. She never got out of the house without a flick of mascara on her lashes, always made sure that her hair was neat, and the clothes that used to be stuffed in a box at the back of her closet now got to see the daylight more often. She started wearing dresses more, showing off her legs, started wearing high-heeled sandals and tops that showed more cleavage. She didn't spend much money on clothes, choosing instead to save more, but she did go shopping every once in a while and didn't deny herself the simple pleasure of buying a nice pair of shoes—because she now knew for sure that someone out there would appreciate that. Of course she had noticed the way Sasuke ogled her legs when they were clad in heels.

Running a hand through her pink hair, she lay down and rolled over onto her stomach, reaching for her bag in order to slip her textbook out. She still had her doubts regarding the fact that Sasuke would behave himself, no matter what he promised her, and she figured she should at least read the damn paragraph one more time. It was clear to her now that she would not come to understand it anytime soon, so she decided not to stress over it anymore. She knew the rest of the textbook by heart—there was no way she could fail the exam.

Sasuke chose that exact moment to push the door open, entering the room. He thought she looked especially beautiful sprawled out on his bed, clad in that nude-colored dress, her black heels lying forgotten on the floor, beside her. Her pink locks tumbled over her shoulders in soft curls, her green eyes accentuated by the slightest bit of mascara, her full lips pink and soft and shiny.

And that gorgeous, gorgeous smile that lit up her features when she caught sight of him had him crossing the room and crouching down in front of her before his brain could even register the action. Cupping her face into his hands, he pressed his lips to hers, kissing her passionately.

Sakura smiled, one of her hands reaching up to wrap around his neck, playing with his spiky hair.

"Now _that_ was a proper hello," she murmured teasingly once they parted, looking up at him with amusement-filled eyes.

Sasuke smirked. "You think so?" he asked. "Because I could—" His cocky sentence was cut off by her laugh.

"What was that about your mother being a nurse and you knowing medicine?" she reminded him, smiling.

His smirk grew wider. "That," he started, tugging on her large textbook, "was the truth."

The pinkette smiled, an intrigued, yet still amused, look in her eyes as she watched him. "Here," she indicated, pointing to the frustrating paragraph. She had never imagined he was actually being serious when he indirectly offered to help.

But he only needed to gaze down at the textbook once. "Alright, listen up."

* * *

Later that night, when the sun had sunk below the horizon and the stars began to twinkle in the sky, Sakura found herself walking on the beach, hand in hand with Sasuke, her strappy heels hanging off her fingers. The sand was warm and soft underneath her feet, and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore repeatedly and rhythmically relaxed her. More relaxing, however, was his presence.

Their little study session had been interrupted by a man who Sakura had come to know as his elder brother, Itachi; he called Sasuke outside to discuss a matter with him. By that time, though, he had already managed to explain her everything she had previously failed to understand—all with a patience and a confidence that had almost left her with her mouth hanging open, had she not been too busy absorbing the information he offered her so selflessly. Sakura was an intelligent woman, there was no doubt about that; but Sasuke was a _genius_. With him, every single complicated theory seemed to suddenly make sense, as if a light bulb had been turned on in a darkened room.

And there were times like these, times when he showed her little bits of himself, times when he _amazed_ her, that she wondered just how much there was left for her to know about him. He was truly an enigma—such a complex character, an amazingly intricate puzzle that she wanted to solve so badly it was nagging at her with each day passing by. And with every piece that slowly came to light and found its place, Sakura became increasingly more aware of the fact that he—Sasuke, the drug trafficker, the criminal—was a prince charming, a knight in shining armor, a man any woman would want.

Of course, Sakura knew that real life was no fairytale and that she had no chance at a relationship with him, but to think that she had actually met him… it was one of those simple things that had always eluded her brain.

"You look content," he commented, snapping her out of her daze.

Sakura smiled. "I love this place," she admitted. "I love the beach, I love the ocean… It relaxes me."

"What else relaxes you?"

She was taken aback by his question, but she answered, nonetheless. "Long, hot baths… Long showers… Reading a nice, non-medicine related book," she said. "Things like that. Little things."

He nodded, and they fell silent.

They continued to walk down the beach, bare feet enjoying the feel of the soft sand molding underneath them, fingers intertwined.

As she watched him from the corner of her eyes, Sakura realized that she had never seen the Uchiha look so casual and relaxed before; one of his hands was buried in his pocket, while his white shirt was out of his pants and half unbuttoned, exposing part of his chest.

"Sasuke… how did you end up going down this road? And why?" The words escaped her mouth without her permission, but she only regretted them for a moment.

Although he seemed to be surprised by her sudden question, he decided to indulge her. "My entire family was involved in this," he answered. "It was the easiest road to take."

"But… you must have been amazing at school!" she exclaimed, confused. "I saw how easily you explained everything I didn't understand to me. And those are things that you don't learn in high-school. Why choose this? It would have been easy for you to do anything."

"Sakura," he warned, coming to an abrupt stop, and for a moment, she thought he would close off and rebuke her, tell her it was none of her business. But he shut his mouth. Dark gaze averting in the distance, he seemed conflicted—and it dawned on her that perhaps he _wanted_ to speak to someone, but found it difficult to get the words out of his mouth.

"You can trust me," she whispered, grasping his other hand as she looked up at him. "If you want to, you can trust me."

A moment was all it took. "My parents were killed," he said, jaw clenched. "I wanted revenge."

Sakura swallowed against the lump that had formed in her throat. "Did you find it?" she breathed.

He shook his head. "My brother… he told me I was wrong. He told me I wouldn't gain anything. But by that time… I was already in too deep."

"So, you did think of a different life," she concluded as she closed the distance between them. The wind played with her hair and her dress, and caused his own bangs to fall into his eyes. She resisted the urge to reach out to brush them away. "A better life."

"My parents kept me away from everything," he explained. "My mother, especially. I never intended to follow in my father's footsteps." A deep breath, and he seemed to snap back to reality and regain his composure. "But it's too late to change that now."

Taking a step back, he tugged his hand away, but Sakura held on to it and kept him in place. With a furrow between his brows and a mildly annoyed look in his eyes, he met her gaze.

"Do you regret it?" Her words were a whisper, and the wind nearly carried them away.

But he heard them. Heaving a sigh, he seemed to hesitate, before he brought his hand up to caress her cheek tenderly. Eyes burning into hers, he spoke, "I have no regrets."

For a moment, she could have sworn he was talking about them. Then he pressed his lips to hers, and every rational thought disappeared.

* * *

**A/N: I am trying a new writing schedule. Yes, you read right, haha! Me, with a writing schedule. Basically, what happened was that I told myself that, no matter how busy I am, I can find the time to write one scene a day—even if I only manage to bring it to draft format. So, weekly, I figured I would count the scenes in every chapter of my stories, alternating between them. I wrote the first ones in my notebook and then divided them by days. Predictably, I already fell behind once, but I caught up, because I found that when I can't cross the damn scene off, I feel horrible. And that's great! Haha, we'll see how it works. **

**Anyway, this chapter was short and, in my opinion, quite sweet. The action will eventually pick up, but if you're waiting for a very riveting plot to develop, I don't think you'll find it here. I won't really go into depth about what being a drug trafficker means and what it entails… this will be more about Sasuke and Sakura getting to know each other and surpassing each other's condition so that they can be together. There will be a bit of drama, but not that much. The way I see it, this is going to be a sweet and relatively short story that I hope I will manage to finish before I go off to college. There, I said it. I hope I didn't jinx it, haha!**

**What I said about Sakura's character still stands! I went back and removed a couple of paragraphs from the last chapter that made her a bit too attached to Sasuke—more than she should have been, considering the fact that they'd known each other for such a short period of time—and I'm pleased now. But if you notice anything off, let me know! :)**

**Please review! I love reading your opinions! **


	7. I Need You Right Now

**Something More**  
**Chapter Seven: I Need You Right Now**

* * *

Sasuke was exiting the bathroom that day, a towel wrapped around his hips, another one draped over his shoulders, when he heard his phone ringing from across the room. Running a hand through his damp hair to push it away from his forehead, he made his way towards the nightstand and picked it up. His brows furrowed when he saw the familiar name lighting up on the screen.

The Uchiha had called Sakura more than a couple of times since he took down her phone-number, and she had always greeted him with her soft voice and obvious smile, but she had never called him back. She would tease and she would laugh, but even what happened the other day, when she coaxed him to tell her a bit more about himself, was an abnormal occurrence. She never prodded, never asked questions that would force him into a situation where he would have to reveal something—anything—about himself, and he sometimes wondered if the reason why she did that was because she thought she knew her place or because she was truly happy with so little. He was never able to tell.

But that did make him enjoy her company more than he normally would enjoy the company of another person—even that of his brother, or his best friend. She wouldn't push him, but she would listen if he wanted to speak. And she would never, ever judge.

Pressing the accept button, he brought the phone to his ear. "Sakura."

"_Hey, Sasuke!"_ she greeted, breathlessly. _"Are you busy?"_

"No," he answered, drawing out the word unsurely.

"_I passed my exam,"_ she announced, and she sounded so excited that his lips twitched. _"I wanted you to know. But more than that, I wanted to thank you. For explaining that to me, and—taking the time to do it… for caring, really."_

"Hn," he grunted. "Then maybe you can come over… and we can celebrate," he suggested.

He could hear her grin in her voice. _"I counted on you saying that,"_ she said.

Sasuke smirked. "Can you do with an hour?"

"_Sure,"_ she chirped. _"I'll see you soon."_

* * *

Sakura had a smile on her face when she opened her closet. She had already taken a shower and blow-dried her hair, and now she was in her underwear, green eyes roaming the hangers for something appropriate to wear, the butterflies in her stomach making her giddy with the thought of seeing Sasuke again.

The exam results had taken three days to be posted, and she hadn't seen him since. Either because he had been busy or because he hadn't been in the mood to see her, she didn't know, but if she were to guess, she would go for the first option. Sasuke was always in the mood to see her, at least from what she'd been able to gather, and Ino had mentioned something about her boyfriend being gone on a trip. It had been insupportable to have lunch with her that day, since all she ever did was complain.

Whatever was the case, Sakura would always wait for him to call her. This was actually the first time she had formed his number, and it had been more of an impulse than anything else.

For a moment, when he sounded so surprised upon greeting her, she had been scared that he would be mad at her for using a number she probably wasn't even supposed to have, but her doubts were soon shattered. She suspected it was one of the reasons why she was in such a good mood. Though the truth was that she was always happy and excited when she was getting ready to meet him.

After a minute spent in front of the closet, she picked out a dress she had never worn before, but one she herself had chosen on her first shopping trip. It was black, short, and relatively simple, but the back was gorgeous—it was open, with crisscrossing straps made of dark, see-through material. It was a bit of a challenge to dress it correctly, but once on, it looked stunning.

She completed the outfit with her only pair of matching, high-heeled pumps, and moved to the mirror to put on make-up. Since she had been blessed with good skin, her collection consisted of a mascara, a small palette of wearable eye-shadows Ino had given her on her birthday, her favorite lip-gloss and a lip-balm she always bought to take care of her lips in winter. Her knowledge went about the same length. But Sasuke had seen her with the smokey-eyes her best friend was so good at executing and he had seen her with her favorite pale pink eye-shadow. He didn't seem to care either way, so she had no worries about that.

She was in the middle of one last sweep of lip-gloss when her phone began to vibrate where she had placed it on the nightstand. Frowning, she wondered if it was Sasuke who was calling her, but when she approached it, she saw that the number flashing across the screen was unknown. Frowning, she placed the cap back on the lip-gloss and tossed it on the bed, picking up the phone.

"Hello?" she said.

"_Haruno Sakura?"_

"Yes, that's me," she answered, her frown deepening as she realized that she couldn't recognize the voice. "What—"

She was unable to finish her sentence as the person on the other line started to speak, the explanation she had longed for falling from her lips. For a moment, she could hardly breathe. Her heart seemed to stop beating and her lungs seemed to stop functioning. Her wide eyes filled with tears and one slipped down her cheek just as the phone slipped from her hand and crashed to the floor.

* * *

The strong smell of medicine and antiseptic attacked her senses as she stepped inside the hospital. It was a scent she knew all too well, and that she sometimes wished she could forget—wished she could stop associating with everything that was wrong in her life and start accepting it as something that was to come, something that she had chosen and that she would enjoy with every fiber of her being. Until then, all of her attempts had been unsuccessful.

She made a single stop on her way to her destination. At eighteen years of age, Sakura though she knew that hospital better than anyone without a medical degree should.

Her stop was on the third floor, in a room that, ironically, she had never had the opportunity to visit before. Pushing the door open, she tried hard to control her meltdown, but her tears defied her as her eyes fell on the person sitting upright in the hospital bed and caught sight of her surroundings.

The door closed soundlessly behind her. Sakura looked down at her feet.

Soon enough, a familiar voice rang through the still room. "What are you wearing?"

She wanted to smile. Then she wanted to cry her heart out. Lifting her head, she locked gazes with the woman that was her mother. She had the same pink hair and small stature, but the eyes, Sakura had gotten from her father. The same went for her personality; there was nothing in Haruno Keiko that Sakura saw in herself, and in a way, she was grateful for that. But then again, the woman sitting in front of her now, the woman she had seen for the past eight years, was hardly the loving mother she remembered from her early childhood.

"What are you _doing_?" she retaliated softly, as she slowly began to make her way towards her bedside. She placed her small purse on the mattress just as she spoke again.

"You've been spending more time with that Ino friend of yours, haven't you?"

Sakura heaved a sigh. There was something about her mother that disarmed her completely, that made her heart clench in her chest in the most horrible way. It was a feeling she wished she could forget, wished she could bury somewhere in the recesses of her mind and never have to uncover again, but because that was her destiny, her wish never came true. In time, she had learned to stop hoping.

"It's…" She paused to clear her throat. "…Difficult not to when you're living alone," she whispered—because it was the truth. People sought people. They sought human contact, as much as they wanted to believe they could make it on their own and never need anybody. Sakura had been that naïve once. But then she decided it was no use overcomplicating her life.

"You're the one who made that choice, Sakura," Keiko reminded her in a harsh tone, and she sounded so cold, so incredibly detached, that Sakura didn't know if she wanted to burst into tears or scream. Either one would bring her relief, and she was afraid she would do them both. But she needed to confront this—she needed to confront _her_. "Stop complaining," she continued. "Accept the consequences of your actions."

"Do you still think… it was a mistake to leave that house—with everything in it?" Green eyes clashed with blue. "I was sixteen years old and I'd already seen more than I could handle."

"Exactly," her mother stressed. "You were _sixteen_. You were a child. What did you know about life? But you decided to leave and find your own way, thinking you'd be better off."

Looking back, perhaps her mother was right. Perhaps she had been too young and too naïve, but she had known enough about life. Now, she knew everything there was to know about it; she knew how it worked. And life was not what her mother was living.

"I _am_ better off," she confirmed.

Keiko's eyes narrowed. "I don't think so."

Sakura huffed a breath and smiled ironically. "That never stopped you from accepting the money I sent you," she remarked.

"I never asked for your money," the woman claimed.

"But what would you do without it?" Sakura retorted, rendering her speechless. Her eyes filled with tears as she realized exactly what the entire situation was about and what it meant—for her, for her mother, for them; for what was left of their family. Her voice was a whisper when she spoke again, "You're using everything to buy drugs, aren't you?"

Her answer was immediate, but it was not what she had expected. "I've been receiving more lately, why?" she demanded to know. "What have you gotten yourself into?" It was a question she expected a clear answer to, the pinkette knew, but she could also tell, from one look in her blue eyes, that she already knew. Her mother had been awfully perceptive all her life, and it seemed like that was one trait that drugs hadn't managed to destroy or take away from her.

Sakura hadn't been born in the best of environments. One had to be blind not to see the corruption in her small hometown and the lengths people would go to in order to earn money, and the pinkette knew that her mother was anything but that.

"I think…" She swallowed. "It's better for both of us not to say that out loud."

Sakura was a smart girl. She could have done perfectly well by herself. She could have won a scholarship, had she not needed to work in order to pay bills and expenses. She would have been living in a nice dorm by now, with a decent job and people who loved her around, and would have led a much happier life. But reality was so far from that it was laughable, and although it pained her with all her being, Sakura knew there was only one person who was guilty for that—and that person was the one who gave her life; it was the person who was supposed to protect her, to love her, to watch out for her and only her. But that person preferred to wallow in depression and selfishness.

Sakura loved her mother dearly. But, sometimes, she felt as though she hated her just as much.

"You're selling your body… for money," Keiko said, and the contempt and disgust dripping from her voice nearly made her double over in pain. "If your father saw you now…"

"But he can't, can he?" she retorted, nearly choking on her tears as she brushed them away. "I… I'm not going to say anything I might regret later on." Straightening, she slung her purse over her shoulder and took a step back. "Because… this is the last you'll ever hear of me."

Blue eyes widened at the confession, but only for a fraction.

It was as though a hand had smashed through her ribcage and was now squeezing her heart, but she ploughed on, because she knew that, if she didn't do this now, she would never work up the courage to go through it again. "I'm not going to provide you with the resources to destroy yourself any longer. I've done so for far too long and in this moment, there's nothing I regret more. Either you go to rehab, or you forget I exist. It's your choice."

The pain those words caused her was unimaginable, and it took everything of her to will her feet to move and her eyes to ignore the disbelief written on her mother's face. Hot tears fell down her cheeks as the door closed behind her, but she refused to allow any more out. She took a deep breath, steeled herself, and walked as confidently as she could down the hall, into the elevator, and then towards the reception desk.

"Hi," she spoke quietly to the nurse behind, her voice breathy and unlike her own. "I would like to pay for my mother's stay here. Her name is Haruno Keiko. I… don't know how much it will reach, but… I have some money here," she said, rummaging through her small purse to retrieve her wallet. She had taken out some money earlier that day to buy a book she had wanted, but it would have to wait now. "It should be enough. But if there's anything left, could you please hand it over to her?"

The woman nodded, the gentle look in her eyes either telling her that she could see the tears she was holding back or that she had already seen enough to last a lifetime.

"Thank you," she whispered, before turning around and making her way out of the hospital.

Daichi was still waiting for her out front, and she quietly climbed into the back of the large SUV, trying to be discrete as she wiped her cheeks. Opening her mouth to speak, she looked up and met his eyes in the mirror. The words died in her mouth.

"Do you want my advice?" he asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "Let me take you home. Don't go to there in this state."

Sakura swallowed. She could bury herself in her bed and cry herself to sleep. It was an appealing thought. But it was in that moment that she realized how badly it hurt to think she wouldn't see Sasuke that night.

"I said I would be there. We're already late," she tried to reason. The truth was, she didn't know who she was trying to convince.

"I know. But going there… in this state…" He stopped, his eyes searching hers for understanding. "Do you get what I'm saying and why?"

"I do," she said, evenly breathing out and ignoring the twinge in her chest. "But I gave my word and I—I don't like to go back on it. I can pull myself together. Let's go, please."

* * *

Ino was by her side the moment she stepped out of the car. Sakura continued on her way inside the house, not really seeing where she was going, not really paying attention to a fraction of her chatter. She was upset she had been late, Sasuke had asked about her, she was curious… Everything fell on deaf ears as she made her way to the pool, unconsciously hoping to catch sight of the only reason why she was there. She didn't, though, and her entire world felt as though it was crashing down on her as she came to a sudden halt.

"Sakura!" her best friend complained with a loud shriek, and finally managed to capture her attention. "What is going on?!" she demanded.

"My mother." The words were out of her mouth without her permission. She swallowed. "She's in the hospital."

Ino's baby blue eyes widened as her jaw dropped. "What?!"

Whereas she had been numb until then, Sakura's tears returned full force. "For an overdose," she whispered, and before she knew what happened, she was enveloped in her friend's embrace. She didn't hesitate—she clung to her, closing her eyes tightly as hot tears escaped them and trailed down her cheeks.

"Come here," the blonde whispered gently, holding her tightly against her side as he led her to seat on one of the lounge chairs. She kept her arm around her shoulders as she settled beside her, tucking strands of pink hair behind her ear so that she could see her face. "Sweetie, you need to go home," she told her in the softest tone she could manage.

"Why are you all telling me to go home?" Sakura complained through her tears, wiping at her cheeks. "I said I'd be here! I can't afford to be playing around!"

"Sakura," she started, speaking slowly, "I don't know how you see things, but Sasuke doesn't need a crying woman."

"Then I won't cry around him!" she exclaimed, frustrated. The stubbornness in her eyes shone as brightly as her tears. "I'm not going away," she said, wiping fresh tears away. "I'm not." Looking up, she noticed Sasuke stepping over the threshold and onto the patio, his brother by his side, deep in conversation. No other thought crossed her mind as she stood, sniffled, and wiped the last of her tears away. She never looked at Ino as she spoke her last words for the day, "I'll talk to you later."

Pulling on the hem of her dress, she looked down as she walked in his direction. His eyes fell on her before she was able to notice, and his discussion with his elder sibling was cut short as he walked away with a short salute. Three steps later, and she was standing in front of him, gazing into his eyes; there was a small frown on his face that spoke of mild annoyance at her for being so late, but she paid no mind to it as she suddenly closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and burying her face into the crook of his neck. It was an action she had hardly thought through, but as much as Sakura liked being in control of her life, she couldn't bring herself to care at that point because it all felt so natural—having him there and being able to bury herself into the warmth of his arms.

Sasuke was clearly surprised, she could feel it in the stiffening of his body and his entire demeanor, but as much as her mind screamed at her to back away and apologize, her body refused to move a single muscle. When his own arms came to wrap around her tiny waist, she had to fight back tears.

There was no doubt that he found her behavior weird when he pulled back and hesitantly took her hand; he was clearly out of his element, because Sasuke never hesitated. Yet he handled her almost fragilely as he slowly led her upstairs. Even his kiss was gentle and probing after the door had closed behind them.

And Sakura tried—she tried so hard—to chase all her thoughts away, to focus on him, because his taller frame felt so good against her, his warm hand cupping her cheek, the other held securely over the small of her back. Maybe it was that that broke her. The first tear escaped from the corner of her eye, and the others were suddenly uncontrollable. Sasuke noticed them immediately as he moved to kiss her cheek, and stopped in an instant, thinking he had done something wrong. Sakura kept her eyes closed as she felt him pull away, part of her scared at his possible reaction. But then his hands were cupping her cheeks and he was coaxing her to look up at him, his expression lost and bewildered.

"Sakura," he said, frowning. "What's wrong? What happened?"

That was all it took for her to burst into tears, breaking down in front of him in a way that made his heart clench painfully in his chest. He remained frozen, eyes wide, at a complete loss of what to do. People didn't cry around him. People didn't need his comfort. He'd never seen a woman cry before. How _were_ they comforted? But his body seemed to know exactly what his mind didn't, and he soon found himself bringing her into his arms. Immediately, she clung to him, small hands fisting in his shirt as hot tears soaked through it.

Taking her face into his hands, he tried to catch her eyes as he whispered in what he hoped was a comforting tone, "Calm down."

Realization seemed to dawn on her in that same instant as she suddenly jerked in his arms, eyes wide as they looked up at him. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry, Sasuke. You shouldn't have to deal with this, I…" She squeezed her eyes shut, and more tears escaped them. "Just give me a minute, alright? I can pull myself together, I can…"

He realized that approach was a mistake the moment she started rambling, so he pulled her back into his arms. It all went downhill from then on as she started crying even harder, and all he could do was stroke her hair and hold her tightly against him, willing her to calm down.

But it was hard for Sakura to do that when she was unable to control herself. She had never experienced anything quite like that before. There was something about Sasuke that disarmed her, and the tears kept on coming and the sobs kept on ripping from her throat and she could hardly swallow or breathe. It was as though all the years of pain she had gone through came rushing out of her, overwhelming in a way they had never managed to do before.

Sakura was brilliant at masking her pain. She was brilliant at masking it even from herself. That was why her breakdown surprised her probably as much as it surprised Sasuke. She had cried before, sure. But she had always been able to control her tears. It was something she had learned over time. But in his arms, every rule she had imposed herself seemed to go out the window.

"I'm sorry," she chocked out.

"Shh," he murmured, smoothing a hand over her hair. "You have nothing to apologize for. Just—" Pulling away, he cupped her face into his hands. His heart clenched at the sight of her tears, and he inwardly cursed himself—he really was bad at this. "How about you take your heels off and get in bed? You'll get some rest and fall asleep and maybe then you'll stop crying…" He trailed off when he saw her slowly shake her head.

"No, I… Can I use the bathroom?" she whispered.

His nod was instantaneous. Finally, something that she thought might do her good and that he could actually accomplish! Letting her out of his embrace, he watched her leave.

The door closed behind her, and Sakura leaned against it as a shuddering breath left her lips.

She should have listened to Daichi. She should have listed to Ino. She shouldn't have come. She shouldn't have gone through with this. She felt so exhausted she could barely stand up straight, yet the tears kept falling. She had to make an almost inhuman effort to push off the wooden door and make her way towards the counter.

Her reflection in the mirror reflected barely half of what she felt like on the inside. Her eyes were red and puffy, her cheeks were smeared with tears, her lips were dry and her nose was red. There was smeared mascara underneath her eyes and her hair was a complete and utter mess.

Her hand shook as she opened the tap, allowing ice cold water to splash inside the basin. She washed her face and smoothed down her hair and willed to every God she knew for the tears to stop. But no one answered her prayers. They kept falling, hot against her cooled skin.

Walking out of the bathroom, she forced herself to take deep, even breaths. Sasuke was waiting for her inside the room, and she was almost overwhelmed with the need to thank him—that he had stayed. Another tear trickled down her cheek as a small smile lifted the corners of her lips.

"I'll be leaving now," she whispered. She wasn't prepared to see the panic in his eyes as he hurriedly approached her.

"Sakura, no," he said, closing the distance between them to take her hands in his. She looked up at him, lost. "Stay."

"I would, but… but I'm not finished." She huffed a breath. "I can't pull myself together—not right now."

"That's why I'm telling you to stay," he insisted, cupping her face into his hands. "You can't leave like this."

Green eyes once again filling with tears, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her hands gripped his shirt as he returned her embrace. "Will you stay, too?" she whispered meekly into his shoulder.

"Yes."

It was the sweetest word she had ever heard. A sob ripped from her throat and everything in her seemed to suddenly give.

Sasuke bent down, slipped an arm underneath her knees and lifted her up into his arms. She clung to her neck while he led her across the room, kneeling on his large bed and slowly lowering her down upon it. She carelessly kicked her heels off and Sasuke threw them onto the floor. She leaned back and would have collapsed on the bed had he not slipped a hand under the base of her neck just in time to catch her. All the energy seemed to leave her body in the instant she felt the pillow under her head. Her limbs felt heavy and sapped of any energy whatsoever.

"Will you tell me what happened?" she heard Sasuke ask, and she opened her eyes—she didn't even remember closing them.

"I grew tired," she whispered. She told herself she was imagining the concern she saw in his black orbs. Shifting on her side, she curled up in a ball, forcing her unresponsive body to move. "I grew tired and I shouldn't have. I can't afford that."

The large window was revealed and she felt his weight disappear from the bed, but she was too tired to move. She kept her eyes open until they stung with unshed tears and then closed them. She didn't know when unconsciousness sneaked up on her. All she remembered was a warm blanket being tucked over her and a large hand smoothing the hair away from her face.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait! It was a difficult chapter to write, and I guess you can all tell why. Hopefully, the next update will be up sooner.**

**Outfit on my Flickr account.**

**Later Edit: Someone asked and I forgot to answer! I'm going to college next year in fall.  
**

**Please review! I'd love to hear what you thought!**


	8. Not Alone Anymore

**Something More  
Chapter Eight: Not Alone Anymore**

* * *

Sasuke heaved out a frustrated sigh as he leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his jean-clad knees and interlacing his hands underneath his chin. His eyes were firmly fixed on a certain point right ahead of him: on the bed. On her. _Sakura_.

She hadn't moved an inch since she'd fallen asleep. She was lying there, underneath the blanket he had placed over her to keep her warm, curled up in a ball, small hands gripping the pillow her pink hair was scattered upon as if her life depended on it. The tearstains were still glaringly obvious on her porcelain skin. Or perhaps that was because he was certain they were there. He didn't know. He wasn't sure he even _wanted_ to know, in the first place. What mattered was that they were there—and that he hated them with a passion he hadn't hated something in a long, long time.

In all the time he had known her—which, granted, wasn't very much—Sasuke had never seen Sakura cry. He had never seen her as much as with a sad look in her green eyes. Every single time he had set his sight on her, she had been bright and cheery. Her smile was soft and gentle—nothing quite like Ino's wide grin. Her voice, also; it wasn't overly loud or ridiculously high-pitched. She had never seemed absurdly happy or excited, like her friend did almost on a daily basis and about everything, but she had never seemed even remotely sad, either.

He wondered if it could be that everything he had been seeing for the past couple of months was nothing more than an act she had put up around him. He wondered if it could be that she was lying, that she pretending, that she was trying to be a person she was not, that she was trying to mold herself into something—or someone—that she thought he would want to see. Was it possible that she was hiding behind a façade so that he wouldn't grow tired of her, so that he would _want_ her? Was it possible that everything he had been slowly but surely discovering about her was nothing more than a big, fat lie? Was it possible that she was as fake as everybody else? Faker, even, than all of them? Better at fooling him than anybody had ever been?

His brain may have been running in overdrive due to all the questions that kept rounding it, but he had his answer in an instant and it was presented to him without doubts or hesitation: _no_. No, it wasn't possible. He may not wholly know Sakura, but he could _read_ her. Those eyes didn't lie to him. Those eyes _couldn't_ lie to him. There wasn't a piece of her that wasn't genuine. There was nothing about her that hid beneath a façade. He could say that with his hand on his heart; he could swear it to anybody and take full responsibility for his words. It was a certainty he would take to the grave.

Sasuke didn't trust people blindly. If they wanted his trust and respect, they had to earn them, and the fact that Sakura had managed to do that without much effort spoke volumes about her and about them. She had won him over without having to do anything other than be herself. At some point in their so-called relationship, Sasuke had deemed her worthy of his trust—and he was sure he hadn't made a mistake.

No, what had happened—or rather, what _was_ happening to Sakura went deeper than that; it was far more important. Clearly, something had gone wrong in her life. Something had tipped over her balance and ruined her perfect equilibrium. Something had killed the light in her eyes, and he felt _such_ an irrational urge to find out who exactly had done that and to _kill_ them—to burn them, to turn them to ashes just as they had done to her happiness.

But the question remained: what could have possibly happened for her to break down the way she had? She had seemed like such a balanced person, such a rational human being… What could have possibly happened to throw her over the edge so powerfully she couldn't pick herself up anymore? Sasuke wasn't foolish enough to think he had her down to a predictable character, to be under the impression that he knew her perfectly, but still… what he had witnessed that night went against everything he had ever found out about her, even in the short time he had known her.

Heaving yet another sigh, he stood, and placed his hands on his hips. Crossing the room, he headed straight for the bed, where she slept—peacefully, he would say, but the small furrow between her brows stopped him from freely using the word.

Crouching down beside the mattress, he reached out to gently brush his knuckles against the soft skin of her cheek, moving a lock of pink hair away from her face. She didn't even stir.

_What_ had _happened_ to her? And how could he help her when he didn't know?

Shaking his head, he stood up. He didn't know where the sudden urge to protect her came from.

That Sasuke cared about Sakura was no secret. _Of course_ he cared about her, given the fact that they shared such an intimate part of their lives with one another. What was true, he hadn't cared about all the women he had slept with. But this was different. _Sakura_ was different. And the more time he spent in her presence, the more inclined he was to believe that she was someone who deserved his respect and admiration.

He supposed his need to shield her away from the horrors of the world surged from the fact that he had always been possessive of everything and everyone that belonged to him—and, in a way and to a certain degree, Sakura did belong to him, at least during their encounters. Her problems automatically became his problems because they interfered with them and affected his time with her. At least, he wanted to believe that with every fiber of his being. Maybe it was even a small part of the real reason. But the truth was that he knew there was something more to that. There was something else that bothered him about her current predicament, and it wasn't the fact that it had stopped him from having his way with her that night. It was the fact that he had lost too much in life to be able to take things for granted and not look every which way out for those whom he was used to having around. And Sakura… she was one of those persons now.

With yet another sigh and yet another shake of his head, the Uchiha left her petite, fragile figure behind and headed for the door. He made sure to be as silent as possible as he opened it and slipped out into the hallway, before closing it back behind him.

He needed space. To think, mainly, but also, he needed space to detach himself from her and from all the feelings she had managed to evoke inside of him with only a couple of tears.

Sasuke wasn't an insensitive person; that wasn't it at all. He wasn't emotionless, either. He simply knew what to feel and when to feel it. He had the ability to either accept what his heart was telling him or to ignore it. He could choose to open up and he could choose to close in on himself. He had mastered that technique at a very young age; when his life was turned upside down so unexpectedly, it had been a necessity.

With Sakura, he had chosen to open up. He hadn't made that option in a long time, longer than he could remember, but he had always remained open to it, because he had never given it much thought, in the first place. He hadn't bothered to make the effort to close himself completely. He hadn't had _time_ for that. But he had never thought that would be used against him so easily and so… unintentionally, in the end. Sakura hadn't meant to lower his defenses and render him to a messy blob of feelings and emotions he couldn't sort out despite the hours upon hours that he'd spent watching her sleep and trying to discern them.

Reaching the kitchen, he headed straight for the fridge. He yanked the door open, grabbed the first bottle of water he saw, and swung it back shut; he unscrewed the cap and took a swing, allowing the cold, refreshing liquid to soothe the ache inside him.

He didn't like seeing her like that. He didn't like it at all.

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he even failed to hear the approaching footsteps, not to mention sense the presence that entered the room with him.

"Well," his brother's voice rang out clearly through the large kitchen, and he almost jumped. "I can't fathom what's keeping you up at this late hour of the night."

Turning his head, Sasuke noticed him approaching. Grabbing his own bottle of water from the fridge, Itachi moved to the other side of the room so that he was now facing his little brother, who continued to watch him carefully—almost warily. Curious about his behavior and the circumstances that caused it, he leaned against the counter and crossed his legs at the ankles, taking a sip of his water before fixing him with his dark eyes.

The younger Uchiha shrugged as means of an answer to his unasked question. "I could say the same thing about you."

True to his nature, Itachi didn't beat around the bush; he cut straight to the chase. "What was wrong with Sakura today? She didn't seem herself."

Sasuke wanted to groan. His brother had always been perceptive and he had always been perfectly aware of it. He had no idea why he was still looking for recognition.

Or maybe he simply considered it a very enjoyable and effective way of torturing him.

"She wasn't," he confirmed with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"What was wrong?" Itachi pressed.

He gritted his teeth. The very thing he had tried to escape was chasing after him. What more of a big, bold neon sign did he need? "I don't know."

His brother's mouth curled into a smirk. "Well, that's a first," he commented.

Sasuke glared. It was a first, alright. The very fact that the woman he shared his bed with was a subject of conversation between the two of them was a first.

"So, if you're so flustered," he continued, resting his hands on the counter behind him, forming a somewhat smug pose. ""Why don't you find out, little brother?"

The man in question frowned. He stood there for a moment more, before taking his bottle of water and hightailing it out of the kitchen.

There was no one like his elder brother to give him a swift kick to set him in motion when he needed it.

* * *

Sakura frowned as the familiar clutches of consciousness grasped the edges of her mind and began to pull at them with a gentle, yet persistent, force that rendered her unable to fight them. She had been submerged deep into a dreamless sleep, and she didn't like, nor did she understand, the feelings that assaulted her the moment she became aware of her being. The oppression of her heart, the way it clenched painfully and sporadically… What was going on?

Her head was pounding, she realized as she slowly eased further into consciousness. It was as if someone was inside there, pounding on her brain with little fists that sent bursts of pain throughout her entire body. Where was she? What had happened?

She struggled to open her eyes. The memories were slow in coming back. Her mind continued to be a blank, dark place for the first couple of minutes. She was unable to access the most recent information, but she did have access to her emotions. Hate, anger, despair, abandon, regret, pain… so much pain…

The room she found herself in was unfamiliar. The large bay window revealed a dark night and nothing else. The chamber itself was dark, making it nearly impossible for her to even attempt to recognize her surroundings. Had she crashed at Ino's? When was the last time she had slept over at Ino's? She couldn't remember. When was the last time she had felt this way and hadn't gone home to weep in silence? She also couldn't remember. She didn't think it had ever happened.

Then, like a bolt of lightening, everything came back to her. She sat up in bed in a quick, abrupt movement, gasping air into her lungs like a newborn baby, eyes wide with fear and shame. What had she _done_? Her life had _finally_ been on the right track and a simple meeting with the past had ruined it. Everything was _finally_ working out. She could _finally_ see her future without being too engrossed in her present. She could _finally_ live and not simply survive. And what had she done? She had gone and poured her heart—and her tears—out on the only person who was able to give her all that!

Why would Sasuke want her now? What could he possibly _need_ her for? He could have dozens of women at his feet, some of them without even having to pay—why would he want one who thought he was her friend? Who thought he cared? Who thought he was supposed to be there for her and wait as she cried her heart out? Why would he want one who brought more emotions than she should in their so-called relationship? He wouldn't, that was for sure. And what could she do about it now? The harm was done.

The door opened, and his tall, lean form entered the room in silence. Watching him, Sakura felt as though the world was collapsing around her once again.

"I'm sorry!" she blurted out, without thinking and without knowing, and he froze in his spot, posture rigid and eyes wide as they cut to her figure. "I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed again, shifting so that she was on her knees. "I didn't mean to—Sasuke, I _swear_! I should have gone home, people told me I should have, but I didn't _think_! I thought I was strong enough not to break down like I did, I thought I was better than that, but _please_… It wasn't my intention to come here and cry all over you, I _swear_! _Please_ believe me!"

"Hey, hey, calm down!" Sasuke exclaimed, interrupting her rant. In two large strides, he was in front of her, holding her face into his hands, brushing her tears away with his thumbs. He didn't know what it was about this woman that disarmed him so completely. One moment he was ready to demand explanations, the other all he wanted was for her to stop crying. "I already told you, you have nothing to apologize for. It happens. It's alright."

"No, it's not," she whined softly. She closed her eyes and more tears escaped them.

Sasuke took a seat on the side of the bed, still cradling her face gently.

"It's not, because… It's not something you should have had to deal with. It's not what you expect and want from me."

There was something inside of him that bristled at the words she had spoken. It was true. Her breaking down like she had wasn't what he wanted from her. Hearing that she had problems wasn't what he wanted from her. He wanted to hear _about_ her problems, though. He wanted to solve them. He couldn't simply ignore them once he knew she had them.

But she had no way of knowing that, because, although he had never given her a reason to think he was a heartless bastard who paid her for sex and expected nothing more or less than that, he hadn't exactly given her a reason to believe the otherwise. Their relationship hadn't moved in either direction. It remained simply where it was, suspended in thin air. They knew each other on a superficial level and were comfortable in each other's presence. He'd never wanted more of one or the other. He'd never wanted less commitment, fewer words, less of Sakura. But he'd never wanted more, either. And, truth to be told, he himself hadn't realized he had a heart until he saw her crying.

Sure, he would care if something happened to her because she was a good person with a great future ahead. But he hadn't expected the way his heart clenched in his chest at the mere sight of her tears, and for that reason, he didn't expect her to understand, either.

But he still tried to explain it. "Sakura, I don't want you to pretend you're happy when you aren't. I don't want you to pretend you want to be with me when you don't—like you were about to do last night."

For a moment, her green eyes were wide and confused as they looked up at him. Would there really be a next time? Had she heard him right? Was that what he was saying? Ducking her head, she sniffled and discreetly wiped at her tears; his hands slipped down to the mattress.

She nodded. "I understand."

"Have you ever done that before?" he asked, unable to help himself as irritation bubbled its way back to the surface of his skin. "Have you ever been with me when you wished you were somewhere else?"

"No!" she whispered, shaking her head, gazing at him with desperation. "I've never done that! I swear! Last night was… it was an incident that won't ever happen again. I _promise_. Just…" Pausing as her eyes filled with fresh tears, she tried to hold in a sob as she curled her legs to her chest and looked up at him pleadingly, placing her palm over his strong forearm. "Just don't end this because of it. Let's just forget it ever happened."

His brows furrowed at her insistence, at her palpable fear. Did she truly think he wanted to end their relationship simply because she had problems, as any other human being did?

"Sakura…" He shook his head, trying to find the right words to let her know what he was thinking. "We're in this together. If I showed up on your doorstep bawling my eyes out, would you care that we didn't get to have sex and therefore I didn't have what to pay you for?"

Sniffling, she shook her head.

Sasuke nodded. "I thought as much. What would you feel?"

Sakura bit down on her lower lip. "Worry," she whispered.

"That's right. Now, will you tell me what happened so I can see what I can do to help you?"

The pinkette hesitated, but it wasn't because she didn't trust him or didn't want to tell him; he could see that clearly. It was because she was afraid—afraid of opening her mouth because it hurt too much and she didn't want to have to go through that again. But Sasuke knew how pain could sometimes be purifying, and that knowledge dominated his selfish reasons in his decision not to let the matter drop.

"Yes," she eventually breathed out. "But…" Her large, green eyes were pleading with him—pleading to understand.

He did. "Sakura," he sighed, moving closer and cupping her cheeks in his hands as he once again tenderly wiped her tears away. "I'm not going to judge you and I'm not going to leave you. Alright? Trust me."

She teared up in an instant. Sasuke let go of her face and instead tugged her fully into his arms, coaxing her head to cuddle in the crook of his neck, as she so obviously loved doing. Her arms soon came to wrap around his shoulders, her small hands involuntarily fisting in his dark shirt. Sighing once more, he shifted, taking her with him as he came to lean with his back against the headboard.

Soon enough, he could feel the dampness of her tears on his exposed skin, but compared to how she had broken down the night before, he was thankful that at least she wasn't sobbing or trembling uncontrollably. Wrapping his arms even tighter around her small form, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head and closed his eyes, inhaling her delicate scent. It hit him then—how grateful he was that she was there, in his arms, her warm and steady breaths fanning against the skin of his neck. It had broken his previously unknown of heart in so many ways to see her cry and apologize the way she had, to see the desperation in her eyes as she looked at him, to notice the pain etched in her features and hear it in her every word.

"My mother…" she whispered in a small, quiet voice.

He opened his eyes, but kept his lips pressed to her pink hair.

"She's in the hospital. I got the phone-call right after I talked to you. That's why I was late."

Sasuke's eyes softened. "Is everything alright?" he asked before he could truly comprehend what he was saying, because if he had thought about it, he obviously wouldn't have said it. With the way she was crying, what could possibly be the answer?

As expected, she shook her head. "She's a drug addict, Sasuke," she sobbed, burying her face further into his chest. "And I… I told her that if she didn't give it up, she could forget she has a daughter."

Sasuke was silent for a long couple of minutes, processing the information, listening to her quiet sobs and heaves of breath. What could he possibly say in such a situation? That he was sorry? That maybe he had supplied her mother's addiction at some point over the years? That she should find a way to convince her to get help? That he understood? That it was alright, that it wasn't? What could he say that wouldn't turn him into a hypocrite? Swallowing, he decided to stick to what he knew was true—to what he felt; and perhaps more importantly, to what he thought she needed to hear in that moment.

"You did the right thing," he whispered, and then stopped. It was a moment until he found his words to speak again. "I know it must seem strange to hear this from me, of all the persons, but drugs… they destroy people. And if it takes such drastic measures to make your mother realize that… then I say it's worth it."

"I know," she said, raising her head and locking gazes with him.

Immediately—and almost unconsciously—he reached out to brush her tears away.

"That's what I think, too. But still… she's my mother, Sasuke. What if she doesn't manage to give it up? What if she doesn't _want_ to give it up? God, I don't even want to imagine the lengths she would go to in order to get drugs…" She trailed off, hot tears streaming down her face as she squeezed her eyes shut in pain.

Needless to say, Sasuke panicked.

"It'll be fine," he hastened to say. "We'll make it alright. I promise."

Sakura shook her head. "No, it won't be fine," she said dismally, the pain resounding clearly through her voice. "I know it won't. It hasn't been for so long…"

Out of words to use for comfort, Sasuke tightened his embrace. He placed a hand over the small of her back and another one over her head, and pressed his lips to her temple. If words couldn't comfort her, then maybe actions would.

They didn't. She continued to cry softly in his arms, and even though it wasn't nearly as bad as before, it still made his heart clench painfully in his chest and his eyes squeeze shut with the unfamiliar sensation.

She calmed, eventually. Her sobs died down and her tears stopped falling. Her body relaxed against his, and when her breathing evened out and her grip on the soft fabric of his shirt lightened, Sasuke knew she had fallen asleep.

He never let her go, though. He kept her safely wrapped up in his arms throughout the entire night, only moving once in order to drag the covers over both of their forms and shift so that his head was also lying on the pillow. When he fell asleep, it was with her head on his chest. And when he awoke, it was with her pink hair tickling his cheek.

* * *

The next time Sakura woke up, the sun was shining brightly in the sky, illuminating the room and warming her figure. She opened her eyes, peering through her lashes at her sunbathed surroundings, blinking rapidly in an effort to accommodate to the unforgiving light.

The bed dipped with another weight, and she brought her hand up to shield her eyes, glancing up at Sasuke. He was fully dressed, sporting a pair of light-washed jeans and a simple white shirt with the first two buttons undone; his hair was the same mess it had been since the moment she met him, but his onyx eyes were surprisingly warm and soft as they gazed into hers.

"Hi," she greeted, her voice raspy from sleep—and, without a doubt, from all the tears she had shed the night before.

The Uchiha grunted in response, and she averted her gaze. He had promised her he wouldn't judge and she believed him, but that didn't mean she had stopped feeling ashamed of her behavior. It bothered her that she had shown him such weakness; in the light of the day, it even bothered her that she had told him about her mother. He saw her with different eyes now, it was painfully obvious, and she wasn't sure that was what she wanted—not from him.

Heaving a sigh, she rolled over on her back. A lock of unruly hair fell into her eyes; Sasuke reached out to brush it away before she could, and she turned her surprised gaze back to him.

"Ino left something for you," he announced, titling his head in the direction of a pink shopping bag. "How about you wash up, change, and meet me outside for breakfast?"

The pinkette swallowed heavily at his suggestion, and he seemed to notice the trepidation in her eyes.

"There's no one in the house but us," he hurried to add.

Sakura hesitated before nodding, smiling tightly. "Alright."

With a nod of his own, the Uchiha stood up and silently made his way out of the room, leaving the pinkette alone with her thoughts. But she was tired of mulling over unpleasant situations, and she was tired of crying, so she immediately slid out from underneath the covers and slung her legs over the edge of the bed, standing up. She headed into the attached bathroom and stood under the spray for more than was truly necessary, using Sasuke's shower gel and hoping he wouldn't mind.

She stepped out and dried her body with a towel hanging on a heated rack, before peering into the bag her friend had left for her; she spied a clean set of underwear, a green shirt and yellow shorts, together with a pair of flat sandals. She pulled the clothes on and threw her hair in a ponytail and then left the bathroom without much regard to her appearance. Her face was clean, without splotches of tears or smears of mascara, and she certainly looked better than she had the night before.

Preparing to slip out of the room and head down to have breakfast with Sasuke, she stopped. Biting down on her lower lip, she closed the door and headed back inside, mechanically placing one foot in front of the other until she was in front of the armchair over which laid her small purse. Her hands shook as she kneeled down in front of it, opened it, and pulled out her cell-phone; her numb fingers worked over the keypad and her eyes squeezed shut tightly on their own accord as she brought the device to her ear and listened to it calling.

But she controlled her reactions, because she knew it was the right thing to do.

When she hung up, she could barely remember a thing about her conversation with the nurse. All that she had heard—all that she had deemed important—was that her mother was alright.

Breathing out evenly, she pushed her tears back as she stood up, placing her phone back in its place. Her heart felt lighter now, and she was grateful for that.

Walking out of the room, she made her way down the stairs and, spotting Sasuke seated at the table outside, near the pool, headed in his direction. His eyes rose from where they were fixed on his phone to meet hers once he heard her footsteps, and she smiled in response.

There was a light breakfast set out on the table, a plate filled with an assortment of fruits and a tall glass of orange juice in what she assumed would be her spot, and she felt relieved because of that. She didn't think she could hold down something more consistent with the way her stomach was churning with nerves and anticipation. Call her paranoid, but until she was back home and she heard the phone ringing again, until she saw his name flashing on the screen, she would not rest safely in the knowledge that he still wanted something to do with her. What was more, her head was throbbing from her crying and over-thinking the situation and her heart still felt as if it was breaking when she remembered the words she had said to her mother.

She was quiet as she took her seat across from him and began to slowly take small bites of her food. Sasuke was, too, as he focused his attention on his phone and occasionally took sips of his iced water.

When the silence became too much for her to bear, Sakura glanced up; he seemed to have abandoned his business, so she took the chance to say something she had been itching to say ever since he wrapped his arms around her the night before.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Onyx eyes moved to lock with green.

"For staying with me. I know that… you didn't have to put up with it. You could have let me go or even sent me home yourself. And you didn't." Glancing down, she tried to swallow the lump in her throat and keep her tears at bay. "You stayed with me and stroked my hair. And I can't tell you how much that means to me… Because no one's ever done it."

"Why?" he asked, almost immediately. He wasn't sure if he should, he wasn't sure if it was the right thing to say in a moment like that, but much like before, the question slipped past his lips before he could stop it.

The pinkette shrugged one of her shoulders, attempting to appear nonchalant. But Sasuke saw the pain in her eyes and wondered if maybe he hadn't done even more harm by asking.

"My father died when I was ten," she eventually explained. "He was a doctor. I was happy before then… It was effortless. Now… I'm trying really hard. And it's not always working."

Sasuke's eyes visibly softened. "It doesn't show," he remarked.

"Then I'm doing a good job." Sakura smiled, genuinely, and shook her head. "It's not that I'm unhappy—please don't take it the wrong way. I'm just not… as happy as I used to be. I'm not… euphoric." She rolled her eyes at her own choice of words. "I'm just pleased with my life. I've accepted it the way it is… I had no other choice. But being alone… it hurts more than you would think. At least for me, because… I'm just that kind of person."

It was true that the Uchiha now saw her with different eyes. How could he not? But that wasn't because she'd shown him how far from perfect her life was. It was because he found out what exactly _made_ it so imperfect. Her father's death—a father whom she obviously admired so much—followed by her mother's inability to recover and subsequent drug addiction… And yet she was there, sitting across from him, eating at the same table as him—not him, _Sasuke_, but him, the _trafficker_. That she had come to him, that she had chosen to become involved with them, that she had made the decision to strive in life by any means, without allowing her emotions to stand in her way… that she had been able to separate her past from her present and do everything thinking of a better future… That spoke more about her strength than anything. And it was a strength that Sasuke himself had never found.

"Look…" he started, pausing briefly to clear his throat. "About your mother… Maybe there's something we can do."

She shook her head. "She's never going to give it up," she said, resignedly. "She hasn't done it for me, and I… I don't know. Isn't a child supposed to be the most important person in your life? If you're not willing to change for _him_… _who_ are you willing to change for?"

"That's the way a rational person thinks," he agreed. "But people like your mother aren't rational and they aren't themselves. There must be something that can pull her out of her misery at least until she is able to see things clearly by herself again."

"What?" she whispered, smiling almost ironically. "My father's dead. I'm not enough. And she doesn't care about money unless she can buy drugs with it." Shaking her head, she took a bite of her breakfast as a tear rolled down her cheek. She was quick to brush it away and turn to him with a small smile. "Thank you, Sasuke. It means the world to me that you want to help. But I'll be fine. I'll see what I'll do and manage by myself."

His brows furrowed as he leaned back in his seat, almost stupefied by her answer. What baffled him even more was that it _bothered_ him. Where he didn't want to help other persons, he genuinely wanted to help her, and she refused him as if he offered his support every day and to everybody. Granted, there wasn't much he could do if things were the way she said them to be, but still… The thought of her facing this entire situation on her own made his heart clench funnily in his chest for what seemed to be the umpteenth time in the last twenty-four hours.

"Hey," her gentle whisper snapped him out of his thoughts. When he raised his head, she was suddenly there, by his side, gazing down at him with a soft expression. He hadn't even seen her stand up from her seat.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she settled down on his lap, curling up gracefully in the early morning sun.

"Thank you," she whispered, yet again, gazing deep into his eyes. Hers were green and shining, but not with the happiness he had become so used to seeing. There wasn't pain in there, either—not anymore. It was recognition. It was gratefulness. And it made his heart swell and clench at the same time, because what had he been able to do other than stand by her side and run a hand through her hair? Nothing. But for her, that seemed to be enough. It seemed to be more than enough, and he simply didn't understand. How _could_ it be? How, when for him it had never even come close?

Heaving a sigh, he rounded her small waist with his arms and allowed her to bury her face into the crook of his neck.

He would find a way to protect her, he resolved. He would find a way to keep her safe and bring a genuine smile to her face. He _had_ to. He had to accept to be there for her in the way she saw fit. Because he _would_ be there for her, regardless.

It was his only option. And it wasn't even an option; he wasn't sure it had ever been. It was the imminent conclusion. Already, it was something that came from his very subconscious.

* * *

It was late into the afternoon when Sakura was brought home by Daichi. The man smiled as he opened the door for her and helped her out of the large SUV, and she returned the action, thanking him quietly. She waved and was about to turn around and leave when he stopped her by calling out her name.

"Wait," he said, rounding the car to reach the back. Opening the trunk, he reached inside and pulled out a large box, before closing it back and joining Sakura, who was watching him curiously, on the sidewalk. "Here," he said, handing it over to her.

The pinkette accepted the offer and immediately frowned as she felt its weight. "What's this?"

"Mr. Uchiha wanted you to have it," he announced. "Though I'd advise you not to open it until after you're inside."

Sakura's frown deepened with the new information, but she huffed a somewhat amused breath at the situation. "Thanks," she said, offering Daichi yet another smile. "I'll see you around."

The man returned the sentiment before turning on his heel and heading back to the still running vehicle. Sakura mimicked his movement in the other direction, only stopping to stick the key into the lock, turning the knob while balancing the box in her other hand. Walking inside, she placed her belongings on the couch and the large present on the coffee table, before sliding to her knees in front of it.

She smiled lightly as she reached out to remove the lid; the mere idea that Sasuke had thought of giving her a gift chased her sadness away, if only for a moment, making her almost giddy. Opening the box, she made a move to peer inside, but she stopped as two paws and a furry head suddenly jumped out, startling her and deeming her action unnecessary.

Her smile grew into a grin and a chuckle pushed its way past her lips even with the confusion swimming in her brain.

"Hello, sweetie," she cooed, gently rubbing the kitten's head. It was tiny, though definitely not helpless, and had a thick fur, striped with different shades of black, grey, and white. It mewled noisily as she touched him and pushed its head into her hand, seeking attention.

Sakura laughed.

"What's up?" Grasping it with both hands, she lifted it up and brought it into her arms, her heart flooding with warmth as it began to purr and cuddled close to her chest.

Reaching back into the box, she searched for a note, which she found hidden inside a plain, white envelope. Opening the flap as the cat continued to purr loudly, she slipped out a small, handwritten note.

_So that you won't be alone anymore._

_P.S. He's a boy. You can call him Sasuke. _

With the events of the last twenty-four hours looming over her, she had never thought she would smile as widely as she did then.

* * *

**A/N: So sorry for the long wait! Obviously, this isn't a story that I'll be able to update as quickly as you guys would like—or as quickly as I myself would like. But I won't give up on it, and I think I've already proven that! **

**Thank you for all your wonderful reviews, I can't express how much it means to me that you're supporting me and that you take a minute of your time to type out a couple of words! **

**Please review and let me know what you thought about this chapter, too! It's been a while, so I'm a bit nervous, haha! **


	9. The Only One

**Something More  
Chapter Nine: The Only One**

* * *

The cool air of a balmy night enveloped Sakura as soon as she stepped out of the large building that housed her last course of the day, the wind threading through her hair and loosening the hold of the thin elastic she had pulled it up with. Giving in, the young woman reached up to remove it, allowing her pink locks to fall over her back and shoulders, tickling the bare skin revealed by her thin tank-top.

It had been a long day, she concluded as she began to make her way down the stairs, though not before stopping for another moment, closing her eyes and inhaling the fresh scent of the young night, listening attentively to the lively noise that buzzed around the campus and allowing it to soothe her whole. She was perfectly aware of the fact that she would only become busier as time wore on and she advanced in her degree, but, with the risk of becoming repetitive, the truth was that she simply could _not_ wait. She truly loved the career she had chosen to follow. It was close to her heart in so many ways it was difficult to express, but at least she knew she was not abnormal for enjoying the time spent within university-owned walls so much.

Starting down the relatively busy street, she glanced down at her watch. It was past nine, which meant that she was most likely already late to her meeting with her friends, but she found it hard to care about that when she was in such a good mood, so she refused to quicken her pace. Instead, she walked leisurely to her destination.

There was no denying the fact that Sakura loved her hometown. Granted, she had never been anywhere else, but there was some type of special magic that Oto had that she was sure could not be replaced by anything any other place had to offer—at least not in her heart.

The nights, for example. Nights in Oto were beautiful. Perfect temperatures, not too warm, yet not too cool, lights of all types and colors casting small shadows on the cobblestone alleys, trees swaying in the slight breeze, people bursting with activities…

Parks were usually _flooded_ with residents in the evenings. Families spending quality time together, couples holding hands, runners giving up the crisp air of the morning in favour of the hyped atmosphere of the night, animal-lovers walking their happy, friendly dogs…

The streets saw much more activity during the night than during rush-hours, as well. College students that were lucky enough to own a car piled up in it with their respective gang to drive to the outskirts of the city, where the bars and nightclubs were not necessarily better, but were something different than what they had at their disposal during the day. Young people that were finished with their work collected their friends or significant others for a night out or a drive or an evening stroll.

There was chatter and laughter and horns sounding left and right, but it wasn't dangerous and it wasn't rushed. It was peaceful and, to Sakura, it was home.

Then there were the cafés in the old city centre, where the traditional architecture had survived the test of time and the calm atmosphere escaped the hustle and bustle of the modern, industrialized society that had thankfully developed in a different section of the town. Not far from the, admittedly, few skyscrapers that marked the busy environment of the modern commercial area, it was an entirely different world to Sakura—and probably that was one of the many reasons why she loved it so much.

She was glad to be heading there for the evening. It was definitely a perfect way to end what had been such a good day.

The centre was busy, as it usually was once the sun set, with people lounging on benches and around the large fountain, while others had secured a spot in the many cafés that spread out into the street on wooden porches. Aptly making her way through the crowd, Sakura walked up the stairs of one of them, her keen ears already making out the sound of her friends' chatter through the loud buzz of the surroundings. Scanning the place with her green eyes, she immediately located them, seated at a table that faced the street, in a corner littered with colorful, potted flowers.

Smiling as she made her way towards them and plopped down on the only remaining chair, she closed her eyes, expecting the barrage of complaints that was sure to be thrown in her direction any moment.

"You're late!" Ino shrieked, clearly annoyed. When she opened her eyes, Sakura saw that she was glaring and pouting at the same time, fingers playing with the straw of her fruity drink.

"Yes, Sakura, that was not very nice!" Temari added in her support, though it was obvious she did it more out of amusement.

The pink-haired woman rolled her eyes. "Geez, sorry!" she apologized. "I had classes, I _told_ you I might be late!"

"But you didn't mention _how_ late you were going to be!" Ino retorted.

Sakura laughed. "Calm down, drama queen. What's your deal, you haven't even finished your drink yet!" she exclaimed, pointing to her half-full glass.

Ino stuck her tongue out at her. "That doesn't matter!"

Once more, Sakura giggled, the girls joining her this time, and Ino's glare slowly receded as her ability to hold it there weakened when faced with the sounds of her friends' cheerful peals of laughter.

"_Anyway_," she stressed, refusing to join in and thus trying to change the subject, "We were discussing what we are doing this weekend."

"This weekend?" Sakura prompted, calling a waiter over to order a drink for herself. Once that was done, she turned her attention back to her friends. "What's going on this weekend?"

"Our guys are out of town," Tenten answered, before Ino could, once again, start her complaints about how Sakura would have known if she had bothered to show up to their meeting on time.

The pinkette, however, simply blinked at her explanation. "Alright?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "We have to find somewhere else to go, you pink-haired _idiot_," she clarified, her tone fond and her eyes warm as they gazed at her best-friend. "What was that about you being in med-school?"

"Haha," Sakura deadpanned, tucking a lock of said pink hair behind her ear and quietly thanking the waiter as he brought over her iced tea. "Very funny, you got that online? It's not my fault I don't understand."

"What's there _not_ to understand?" she pressed, smirking. "We depend on the money we're given. We need to work on weekends even if our favorite guys are unavailable."

"What?" Sakura spat, shocked. "You're telling me _you're_ goin—"

"Geez, _no_!" Ino snapped, interrupting her before she could even finish her sentence. "I have a boyfriend, you don't need to remind me of that! But _they_ will," she stressed, pointing to their friends, who both nodded in agreement, "and _you_ will, too. It's just easier to include myself in the equation. Besides, what's with you and actively trying to make me feel as if I'm married with children?"

"No way," the pink-haired woman said, shaking her head.

For a moment, her friend was confused as to why she was reacting so negatively to what she had said, until it dawned on her exactly what she was talking about.

She rolled her eyes.

Across the table, Tenten laughed, one of her hands reaching out towards Ino, palm up. "Pay up, blondie! I told you she wouldn't do it!"

"Whoa, there," she said, leaning back in her seat. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Tenten, I still haven't talked to her!"

"You guys _bet_ on me?" Sakura asked, incredulously, glancing back and forth between her two friends with a shocked expression plastered on her face.

It was Temari who answered her with an enthusiastic nod. "They sure did! I would have, too, except I really didn't know what to think."

Throwing her hair over her shoulder, Ino turned to the still surprised woman. "Now, Sakura," she said, patting her hand, "How about you prove these two wrong?"

Snatching her hand away, the pinkette almost wanted to laugh. "I'm not proving _anyone_ wrong!" she exclaimed, rolling her eyes. "I don't _care_ about your bet or about your money. I'm not doing it. I'm not going anywhere."

Temari laughed gently. "You're so spoiled it's adorable," she said.

"It's not that!" Sakura denied, vehemently shaking her head. "I… I'm not going to sleep with someone else if I don't _have_ to! I'm—I'm not judging you girls, by any means, but I… I'm not ready for that," she stammered, "I'm not sure I'll ever be."

"If you don't _have_ to?" Ino repeated, raising her eyebrows. "Don't you have bills to pay?"

"I do, but I also have _money_ to pay them because, unlike you, _Ino_," she said, pointedly, "I save more than I spend."

The blonde pouted, her perfect posture dropping, as the other two girls burst into giggles. "That was a low blow."

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"_Anyway_," Ino stressed, and glared at Tenten, who continued to grin at her much like the cheshire cat, "Stop looking at me like that and take your hand away, we're not done with this issue," she commanded, making her chuckle as she did what she was told. "As I was saying, we still have to decide where we're going. I have more than one offer."

Sakura grasped her drink in her hand and leaned back in her seat, sipping slowly with the help of her straw as she watched them argue.

There was no denying the fact that she had been surprised—and not in a pleasant manner—by their offer, but perhaps even more by their blasé attitude towards it. She and Sasuke were nothing but sexual partners, and not a minute passed without her being fully aware of it, but the thought of sleeping with someone else repulsed her so completely she was almost unprepared to handle the feeling.

Still, it was something she thought she had been prepared for when she decided to enter this business. The fact that Sasuke had wanted her more than once had been a surprise and maybe even a blessing—because, what would she have done if she were to have been faced with this problem every single week? What would she have done if she were to have been forced to have a different partner every single weekend? It was the deal she had accepted. The terms had changed without her knowing and without her _expecting_ them to change. The other outcome would have ruined her. She would have continued, without a doubt. She would have persevered, because she knew everything she was doing was for a good cause, a cause that she believed in, a dream she had been dreaming of ever since she was a child. But she wouldn't be here, chatting and laughing with her friends, enjoying a warm Thursday night with the thought of whose arms would be wrapped around her in two days' time looming over her.

Maybe Temari was right. Maybe she _was_ spoiled. Sasuke had changed much, much more for her than she had even realized up to this point, and while she was sure he hadn't done it for her… she was grateful. Suddenly, she was choked with the realization of how _grateful_ she was to him. She wished she could do something to show him that, but… but what could she give him that he didn't already have? In the short time that she had come to know him, Sakura had been able to tell that Sasuke Uchiha was a man that had everything he wanted at the snap of his fingers; otherwise, he went out there to search for it—and he got it every time, without fail. He wanted _her_. And, not for the first time, Sakura wondered what it would be like when he decided he wanted someone else.

"It doesn't matter much to me," Tenten's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, bringing her back to reality, "As long as that Watanabe pig isn't there, I'm good."

Sakura blinked. "Who's Watanabe?"

Temari laughed. "A big, fat, arrogant _pig_ who uses more cologne in a day than I use perfume in a year and who thinks he's the king of the world when the police probably doesn't even know his name," she summarized helpfully, causing her friends to burst into giggles.

Sakura cracked a smile as she shook her head, taking a sip of her drink.

"Alright," Ino conceded, "So, we cut _him_ off the list…"

Gazing down at the ice clinking in her glass, the pinkette felt her amusement slowly ebb away, together with her feeble smile.

With Sasuke's protection gone… what would become of her?

* * *

It was much later that night that the four women finally decided on a destination, split the bill, and parted ways.

With it being so late, the streets were relatively silent, with only the occasional sounds of laughter flittering back and forth from lit-up terraces or open windows. Although the chill in the air was now more pronounced, the atmosphere was still warm and balmy. It was the type of night that Sakura loved, and she considered it perfect to walk slowly, in peaceful silence, to her house, where she would then slip into her favorite pair of pajamas, climb into bed, lay her head down on the pillow, and drift off to sleep with the knowledge that she had no classes the following day—and therefore no reason to wake up early—at the forefront of her mind.

Ino, however, who chose to accompany her, seeing as their houses were on the same street, seemed to have a very different idea.

"Sakura," she started, and the unusually serious tone of her voice immediately snapped the pink-haired woman out of her pleasant daze.

Blinking, she turned to look at her friend; her expression, marred by a deep frown, matched her voice. Sakura felt tendrils of worry begin to wrap around her heart in a vise-like grip she knew all too well.

"…What is it?" she asked.

The blonde hesitated, staring straight ahead. "I… I know that this is going to bother you, and… I assure you, I won't like saying it any more than you'll like hearing it, but… but the fact that Sasuke's held you while you slept and gave you a kitten to name after him doesn't mean he's fallen in love with you—or is anywhere down that road, for that matter."

Sakura stopped dead in her tracks, the sound of her old tennis shoes scraping against the pavement echoing into the night. Taking a couple of moments to make sense of what she had just heard while her friend watched her patiently, yet worriedly, from a couple of steps forward, she blinked.

Shaking her head, she started walking again.

"I don't think you could have reached a more ridiculous conclusion if you tried," she told her, still befuddled by her unexpected assumption.

"Really?" the blonde pressed.

Seeing how completely serious she was, Sakura began to feel her shock and confusion ebb away, making place for the type of slow-burning anger that was only ever fueled by betrayal.

"Ino, I never _once_ imagined Sasuke would fall in love with me," she stated, her tone hard and, if possible, even more serious than her friend's had been. "What is _wrong_ with you? I'm not some type of naïve fool—aren't you supposed to know that by now?"

"I never said that's what you were, Sakura," Ino retorted; she sounded frustrated, though not even that could mask her obvious worry. Under any other circumstances, the pinkette would have probably melted under that realization. "But… I know how it _feels_. Alright? I've been in your place. It's so _easy_ to fall for them, Sakura. Don't you think I know it? They give you the world—how can you _not_ fall for that?"

"I _have_ the world," Sakura snapped, quickening her pace. What should have been a comforting, late-night stroll turned into something she only wanted to escape. "I have _my_ world—and everything I need is in it."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous."

"I didn't go there to live the high life," she continued, clearly upset. "I went there so I could have a chance to live in _this_ world—in _my_ world. That hasn't changed. And you, as my best friend, should have more faith in me than thinking that it ever will."

"Sakura, I _know_," the blonde finally snapped, coming to an abrupt stop and hating Sakura's own movements with a tight grip on her upper arm. "Alright? I know what type of person you are! I know what you want, what you need. It's not much, and I'm not saying you've changed. But that's not what matters to me. What matters to me is how you _feel_—about _him_."

"About _Sasuke_?" Sakura asked, incredulously. "You're asking me what I feel for _Sasuke_?"

"Sakura, for God's sake! You _know_ there's something there! He was your first, you've been sleeping with him for a while, he makes you feel good, obviously, and I _get_ that," she said. "Really, I do. But you _talk_ about him, Sakura. And that wouldn't be a problem, but it's in the _way_ _you talk_ about him."

Scoffing, Sakura looked away, crossing her arms over her chest.

But her friend pressed on. "What is it about him, Sakura?"

And, whether she said it out of anger or because it was a truth she had never uncovered until then, the pinkette found her answer immediately. "He makes me feel _safe_, Ino," she said, turning her gaze back to hers. "That's it. He doesn't love me; he only cares about one thing when he's with me—which is logical, and I know it perfectly well, because he's _paying_ me for it. I know he'll never see me for anything more than what I am, I know that maybe _no one_ will _ever_ again see me for anything more, and that's fine, I knew it going in—and I've come to terms with it a long time ago. I'm still perfectly aware of the dynamics of our relationship—and I don't even _want_ them to change; that's not my purpose. Sasuke gives me a sense of security that I haven't felt in so long. I don't know why and I don't really care to find out. And, I don't know what's logical to you, but if he still wants me and still calls me, I'm not going to sleep with someone else just for the heck of it."

With that, the pink-haired woman turned and left, paying no mind to the calls of her name that followed in the wake of her hurried steps. She practically ran up the stairs to the front porch and shouldered her door open, flicking the lights on and not bothering to slip out of her shoes before making her way inside the house.

Dropping her keys on the kitchen table, Sakura heaved a sigh. Her temper had obviously gotten the best of her and she had been perhaps a bit too rash to Ino—something she would undoubtedly regret in the morning. At that point, though, she didn't quite find it in her to want to give her a call and apologize. She wasn't angry anymore—far from it. But her tirade seemed to have exhausted her, and she groaned lightly as she pulled out a chair for herself and unceremoniously plopped down upon it, running a hand through her hair.

Ino had always wanted the best for her; that was simply what true friends did. That having been said, Sakura knew that what really bothered the blonde was the fact that she thought Sasuke to be perfectly capable of hurting her. She'd hinted at it before and Sakura had been quick to catch on, even though she'd never outright mentioned it. To a certain degree, the pinkette was also aware of the fact that her friend also thought of her as naïve; not because she hadn't dealt with her own fair of hardships in life, but because she wasn't experienced enough in matters of sex, men, and relationships—all in that order. Because she was new to basically everything Sasuke was giving her so easily and thoughtlessly, Ino thought of her as not strong and smart enough to see that big, bold, red line that she wasn't to cross under any circumstances—but Sakura _did_ see it, and she _was_ perfectly aware of what she meant to Sasuke.

It would hurt when he stopped calling, without a doubt, and it wouldn't only be because she would have to find another way—or, rather, another _man_—that could help her out of her predicament and support her through med-school. The prospect did terrify her, but it wasn't only because of it that the pink-haired woman would hurt when her relationship with Sasuke came to an end. That would also be because of _this_—because of what she felt when she was with him; because of the feeling of safety and security that she had been craving, perhaps, for her entire life without realizing, and that he gave to her probably also without knowing.

Losing Sasuke would mean losing her protector, as ridiculous as that might sound, and the truth was that Sakura had gone through that twice, with both of her parents, and it had always hurt. This time wouldn't be any different.

But Ino didn't want to see that, and she probably wouldn't understand even if Sakura bothered to fully explain it to her, because she simply wasn't in her situation; she couldn't identify with her.

Standing up, Sakura decided to close the subject. She already felt as if she was fighting against the world, and that was tiring enough, especially when she was part of it and had her own war going on inside. She didn't want to fight against Ino, too, so she told herself to let the matter go.

In the morning, she would call her and apologize, and if Ino wanted, she could come over for a chick flick and a bowl of popcorn.

If she didn't… well, then Sakura would have the popcorn all to herself.

* * *

"So, Sasu-cakes, are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

Sasuke gritted his teeth, glaring in the direction of what some would also call his best friend. He would, quite simply, call it a _nuisance_—a stupid, relentless nuisance.

"Perfectly," he spat.

In response, Naruto roared with laughter, clutching onto his stomach as he doubled over. "You stingy bastard, thinking you're better than all of us!" he managed to choke out. "You'll see how it'll all turn out—you, spending your entire weekend in your bed, cold and lonely, with no one to talk to, no one to brood with, no one on whose nerves to get on…"

From behind the still-laughing blond, Itachi smirked. What was true, his younger brother was much too pretentious for his own good, always thinking he could choose the people in whose company he spent his time, always thinking he could choose even his business partners. Perhaps that wasn't entirely bad, but he would definitely need to learn to swallow some pills even if they were bitter; he wouldn't always have the possibility to do everything as he wished.

But, as long as he still did, Itachi preferred to let him have it. Sasuke had been through enough, and if he could handle at least some matters without him needing to become involved, then he would.

That didn't mean it wasn't amusing to watch Naruto as he tried to rile him up because he himself was annoyed that Sasuke got to stay behind and lounge around a blissfully empty house while he had to spend three whole days in the company of such unpleasant people, though.

"Unlike you, you goddamn _idiot_, I don't need someone to remind me to _breathe_," Sasuke hissed.

Naruto waved his hand in a gesture of dismissal. "Yeah, yeah, I've heard that before. I'll be waiting for you to call and repeat that when you find out Sakura's not there to kiss you better. You know why? Because she has a _life_!" he exclaimed, before bursting into laughter once more.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at him and opened his mouth, about to retort, but Itachi felt it was time to interfere—not to take anyone's side, but rather to test his brother's reaction. "He is right, you are aware of that, right?"

He raised an eyebrow in response, and both Uchihas ignored Naruto's proud proclamation of, "See? Even your brother agrees with me!"

"You might want to know—and you should," Itachi continued, "that the girls will have probably already found somewhere else to go by tonight. So, unless you want to be alone, I would suggest you call Sakura—now, while it still isn't too late." He paused for a moment, before adding, "If it isn't already."

With a huff, Sasuke stood up abruptly from his seat, a full-fledged glare in his already dark and mysterious eyes.

"I don't fucking care," he muttered, pushing past him.

* * *

Only that he did care, he later on discovered—and quite a lot, at that.

He didn't know why—he wasn't quite able to tell—but there was something inside of him that was bothered and very, _very_ angry at the fact, the knowledge, and, in all reality, the mere _possibility_ that Sakura might have accepted to head somewhere else for the weekend.

From what little information he had managed to gather about her in the time that they had been meeting, Sasuke would be quick to say she was not the type of woman who would jump from his bed to another's simply because she could, but the fact was, she was _one of them_—she was involved in this business. The fact _was_, she had accepted to give her virginity to _him_, a person she hadn't known, hadn't trusted, and hadn't loved. She'd done it for the right reasons, one could say, if they were to see the greater picture. _He_ could most definitely say he didn't blame her for accepting this deal and everything that it entailed.

But, as he stood there, pacing his living room with a drink in his hand that did nothing to calm his agitated nerves, it occurred to him that if she had been able to share something so intimate and so _special_, when it came down to it, with a stranger, if she had managed to find the courage to take such a step, being so innocent and so inexperienced and really having such a gullible heart, such big dreams—dreams that would have been almost naïve had she not had the confidence and power to work on achieving them… If she'd managed all that, what could possibly stop her from gathering all of her courage all over again and go to another man for a night?

She wouldn't like it, that was for sure and something no one would manage to convince him of otherwise. He'd come to know her and he trusted what he'd found out about her. She wouldn't find the least bit of pleasure in it—psychologically, at least, because while she shouldn't have enjoyed her first time with him, either, he was able to make her feel good physically. She wouldn't like it, though; he would stand by that. It would make her feel dirty, maybe, but once again, the truth was that Sakura was capable of going to the extremes in order to accomplish her dreams.

And that knowledge stirred something in his chest, made red-hot fury course rapidly through his veins, slowly consuming what was left of his control.

He refused to remain in the house that evening. He couldn't stand the thought of her, and whether he liked it or not, his bedroom reminded him of her now. She'd been in it for far too long—and he saw her now, everywhere.

It was foolish of him to think that he would get rid of her memory simply by relocating elsewhere, though, because she continued to be on his mind, following him, seemingly, much like a ghost, all the way to his apartment on the outskirts of the town.

The image of her in someone else's arms… It drove him crazy, and he knew it shouldn't, but knowing it didn't stop him from feeling it.

Sakura wasn't cut out for this life, but she'd chosen to become involved in it, and what could he do? What could he do, when it was exactly _through_ it that he'd met her?

The pinkette had never slept with anybody else because _he'd_ always been the one to call her. He'd been home every weekend when the girls came over, and he'd even called her during the week once or twice. And, truth to be told, their relationship had been short—too short for it to be truly put to the test. Since the two of them met, the girls had never had a reason to go somewhere else. But now they did—and the question plagued him: so did she?

The rational part of him told him that, yes, so did she; of course, she also had a reason to head somewhere else, because if she hadn't had a reason, he would have never had her in his bed. She was in this for the money, not for him. What was for sure, he gave her more than enough, but what if she needed even more?

Even if she didn't, though, that was not the point. The point was that she didn't have the security of a job with him. She had the security of a job with _Ino_ and wherever _she_ took her. He could stop calling in a second, on a mere whim, and what would she do then? No, his luck had been that he'd always gotten there _first_; he'd always called her _first_. _That_ was the reason why he'd always been the one to have her. But she was under no obligation to be faithful to him. He'd known that going in with all the other women and he'd never given a damn—because he'd never given a damn about _them_. They were a means to an end and that was that. But he'd been aware, for a while now, that he _did_ give a damn about Sakura. What was new to him was that he apparently gave _more_ than a damn about who she slept with and not only about her well-being.

With a growl of pure frustration and annoyance, Sasuke slammed his glass down on the table and grabbed his phone. Clearly, he'd been slow to catch up to what was happening to him, because he had Sakura on speed-dial.

Bringing the device to his ear, he picked his glass back up, knocking its contents back in one swift movement.

She answered on the second ring. Had she taken any longer, he realized, he would have most likely given up. But that wasn't the case, because he immediately heard her soft voice over the line.

_"Hello?"_ she said, distracted, as she was most of the times when she picked up the phone. It was because she was constantly with her nose buried in books. But… could it be that…?

"Sakura," he greeted with a huff.

_"Sasuke!"_ she exclaimed, and then groaned, but he could still hear the smile in her voice as she continued, _"I'm sorry! I didn't even glance at the caller ID."_ Around her, everything was silent; no noises could be heard through the phone, no music or voices. "Are you back in town?"

He cleared his throat and buried his free hand in his pocket. "Where are you?" he asked, ignoring her own question.

More than upset, though, she seemed amused. "Home."

A breath he hadn't known he'd been holding escaped his lips, and he closed his eyes, letting the confirmation of what he'd essentially already known wash over him. He still hadn't opened them by the time his next words came out. "Can you come over?"

He could hear her smile through the phone. "Sure."

* * *

Sakura pulled at the hem of her dress as she slowly stepped out of the elevator and began to walk down the long, polished hallway, her green eyes searching the gleaming doors for the number she had been told was Sasuke's.

The building was nothing of what she had expected, but perhaps that had very much to do with the fact that she hadn't known what to expect at all, in the first place. Far from the somewhat traditional mansion she had visited thousands of times before, the building in which Sasuke had decided to set his permanent residence was tall and incredibly modern, all steel and glass; it was fully equipped with an underground parking-lot, and one could go no further than the large gates that guarded its residents without permission. Inside, the floors were polished to the point that they gleamed; the elevators were equally clean, fast as lightning, and made absolutely no noise. And if that was how the mere _building_ presented itself, Sakura was almost scared to discover Sasuke's apartment and the level of wealth it could reach.

The pinkette hadn't even known such a district _existed_ in her small hometown, and she had never felt so out of place.

Without a doubt, it was beautiful, as if someone had cropped it right out of a movie and placed it there, uncaring of how much it contrasted with the much poorer surroundings. But she had never dreamt about _meeting_ such a place, much less _living_ in it. That wasn't because she hadn't dared, though, because in matters of dreaming, Sakura was far ahead other people of the same condition. It was because it simply wasn't _her_. All the luxury and ultra-modern touches felt terribly cold and impersonal, and being there only reinforced her belief that she wasn't made to live in such an environment.

Tucking her hair behind her ear, Sakura continued to walk forward, and after a few more steps, found herself in front of the right door. Raising her hand, she paused to take in a deep breath, uncharacteristically nervous, before she rapped her knuckles against the steel, twice, and then let her hand fall back down to her side.

The door opened in an instant, leaving her face-to-face with Sasuke, who was staring at her intently with a gaze that was equally heated as it was impossible to decipher.

She didn't have time to study his apartment and determine whether it was as cold as she thought or if Sasuke's touch and presence had made it warm and comfortable. She didn't even have time to smile. All that she had time to do was notice the look in his eyes, before she was suddenly tugged forward, straight into his arms, and engaged in an all-consuming kiss.

A muffled sound of surprise escaped her lips, but he ignored it as he gripped her hips, lifting her easily into his arms, forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist while he kissed her in an almost violent manner. The moment the door slammed shut behind her, the sound echoing loudly in her ears, she was thrown back against it so hard her breath hitched, the air leaving her lungs in a sudden _whoosh_. Sasuke didn't seem to notice—either that, or he simply didn't care. His lips continued to forcefully move over hers, his hands continued to urgently roam her body, the aggression in his actions not dropping a single notch. Sakura frowned at his urgency, unused to such behavior from his part, unable to recognize the feelings he poured into every action.

Lust had always been an emotion present and visible from the very beginning of their relationship. He always kissed her with lust, always touched her with lust, always gazed at her with lust. Sasuke had a domineering personality and a passion that showed in his eyes more than in his apathetic demeanor, but that transferred, without a doubt, to the mattress. Clearly, he was more enthusiastic about the physical pleasure he could receive from the act of having sex than he was, quite possibly, about anything else in his life—at least from what Sakura had been able to witness.

But he was usually never so rough and uncouth. Sakura didn't know what she'd been expecting when she became involved in such a business, she'd been scared and hadn't had experience, so she found it hard to see the world through the same eyes now, but she remembered thinking, after their first night spent together, that hadn't been it. Sasuke wasn't a loving man in bed, by any means, but he wasn't harsh, either. He always made sure she was comfortable and he never once hurt her or disregarded what she said or did. Sakura didn't know if it was intentional—though she told herself it most likely wasn't—but he made her feel safe, protected; he made her feel as though he would truly, honestly care if something happened to her—and, after the way he'd acted in the incident with her mother, Sakura concluded that maybe he did.

She remembered feeling glad and so incredibly grateful, one day, as she thought about him, that he didn't ask for more than what she could give, that he accepted her inexperience and didn't allow it to bother him in any way, shape, or form. She remembered thanking him, quietly, in a whisper meant only for her ears to hear, as they lied in bed one night and he was sound asleep beside her, for being the way he was.

Now, as she struggled to keep up with his aggressive assault, she felt as a different perspective over them and their relationship was unveiled right in front of her eyes. Everything had an end, and maybe theirs was nearer than she'd thought. Maybe Sasuke didn't have a reason to take it slow with her anymore. Maybe he'd grown tired of treating her as anything more than what she was.

Maybe it was time for her to sit down and truly think about what she would do the moment he decided to discard her and her presence. Less than a week before, she'd been under the impression that she had all the time in the world, that she could simply push the unpleasant thoughts out of her head, since they had no place there.

Maybe she couldn't afford such a luxury anymore.

* * *

She was silent, he noted later on, as they lied in bed, side by side, heartbeats still accelerated and breaths still uneven. She was unusually silent.

She had accommodated herself on the other side of the bed, head on the pillow, pink hair still mussed and contrasting with the navy sheets; she made no move to reach out for him, to cuddle into his side or bury her head into the crook of his neck. She had pulled the blankets up to her chest and was staring straight ahead with such stubbornness and determination that it made Sasuke wonder whether she would bother to turn her head if he were to call out her name.

But he had nothing he wanted to say to her, and he decided the end result wouldn't be worth the test, no matter what it turned out to be.

Clenching his jaw, he turned his head the other way and did everything in his power to ignore the living, breathing woman beside him. Short of asking her to gather her clothes and leave, it was all he could do.

He wasn't sure of what he was feeling or why he was feeling that way, but the relief that had coursed through his veins the moment he heard her voice on the phone and realized that she was home, that she was alone, that she was still _all his_, was long gone. He'd opened the door and he'd seen her there, gorgeous in her lacy dress and high-heels, green eyes peeking out from under thick lashes and dark eyeshadow, pink hair tumbling around her face in soft curls and brilliant smile pulling at the corners of her lips—and he'd realized just how close he'd come to losing her. He'd realized just how close he'd always been to having her slip through his fingers. He'd realized that he'd met this woman through Ino, that she'd come to him one night, as a surprise, as a twist of fate, as something completely unexpected and entirely unheard of.

She'd come as a breath of fresh air that brought along a million of different emotions he'd never felt before. And he'd remembered that he'd paid her for each and every single one of them.

He'd thought back to all the times he'd called her and _she'd_ never called _him_. He'd thought back to all the times he'd asked her to come over and _she'd_ never taken the initiative _once_. He hadn't been able to turn the matter over in his head and realize that she simply didn't believe she had the right to use him as such, and if he had, perhaps that would have been a problem in itself.

Slowly, but surely, in a moment he hadn't noticed, he'd started to secretly and unknowingly see her as _more_. He'd started to see her as a person he could lean on, a person he could trust, a person that would be there for him—and _only_ him—whenever he needed her. She wasn't a prostitute; she was a confident woman with a bright future ahead and with a strength he could only admire, because it would win over his own a million times. She had problems, but she could work them out. She wasn't perfect, but she was, perhaps, everything he wasn't—and that suited him well.

But she wasn't _his_—and the realization seemed to have been his breaking point.

"Why didn't you follow Ino and the others?" he demanded, the words out of his mouth before he could even comprehend what he was asking, before he could even turn around or begin to prepare himself for her possible answer.

The shock and pain that flashed across her eyes and that immediately followed his question threw him off guard, but the reaction was gone before he could do as much as furrow his brows at the sight of it.

"I'm not a whore, Sasuke," she whispered, averting her eyes from his. Both her tone and her expression spoke clearly of the betrayal she felt for the simple reason that he had suggested that, but she seemed to quickly realize she had no right to feel that way. "Well, maybe… maybe you're right," she added after a moment, her voice almost resigned, as she fidgeted with her hands, twisting them and turning them above her stomach. "Maybe I _am_ a whore—and you're in all your rights to think of me as such. But I don't want to be." Tilting her head, she finally met his gaze, and he was struck by the pained sincerity swimming in her dark green eyes. "And I will be your woman—only yours—for as long as you want me to."

There was a moment of silence after her declaration, moment in which Sasuke fought with all of his might to assimilate her words and gather his bearings once he realized their meaning. A broken whisper in a silent room was all it had taken for his anger to melt away, for his heart to be soothed and all of his doubts and insecurities to be whisked away. The image he'd initially had of Sakura returned, the image of a strong woman who stopped at nothing in order to achieve her dreams, yet could still be soft, cheerful, graceful and gentle, and so loyal it made his head spin, and he realized he should have never doubted it, in the first place.

He _knew_ her—inside and out. Maybe not as well as he would have liked, but that could be easily fixed. And because she had discarded and then tattered his every rule without even consciously trying, he found that none of them could be applied to her.

She was Sakura. _That_ was who she was—unlike anyone he had ever met and would probably ever meet.

For the umpteenth time that night, Sasuke wondered if it was truly so selfish and wrong of him to consider the idea of never letting her to, of keeping her to himself, forever.

But he didn't have the time to think about that, because in that moment, all that mattered was her—her small form in his bed, covered by his sheets, her soft, even breaths, and her tear-filled green eyes.

It wasn't much of a conscious decision when he suddenly moved, cupped her soft cheek into his roughened hand, and pressed his lips to hers—softly, sweetly, gently, so unlike the actions he had initiated less than an hour before. She was surprised, he could tell by the way she didn't respond to the kiss right away; a moment passed before he felt her small hands gently sliding over his collarbone, snaking over his shoulders before coming to tangle in the hair at the nape of his neck.

She then shifted, her entire body leaning into his, giving herself over to him completely, and, had he not been so overwhelmed by the feelings her simple actions evoked inside of him, he would have felt guilty for the way he had treated her before.

For a reason he couldn't understand, it was only now that he saw the trust she placed in him. It was only now that he realized how much it took of her to come to him whenever he asked, fully aware of the nature of their relationship. He had treated her right, but how long had it taken her until she realized that he always would? Yet, there hadn't been a single moment in which she hadn't seemed to trust him with every fiber of her being.

As it was, though, he was too consumed by her.

Aside from the stark contrast this encounter had to their previous one, neither of them realized that something was different between them. Neither of them had ever experienced anything different, so how could they recognize it now? As they joined their bodies in a dance as old as time, neither of them realized they were no longer simply having sex.

They were doing so much more.

* * *

**A/N: That note on Tumblr last night? Yeah, it obviously didn't work out that way. **

**This chapter was the _death_ of me. It was _hell_ to edit. I wanted to make sure it was as perfect as it could get, considering not only the long wait, but the fact that it's a bit of a turning point in their relationship, too. But there ****was a group of idiots outside my window last night that made a _hell_ of a lot of noise, so I found it hard to concentrate. (Closing the window was not an option, because it's freaking hot here!) And then today, when I was in the midst of reading over it one last time, I accidentally pressed the home button, so every change I'd made was lost! If that's not bad luck, I don't know what is! _Damn_. But, I made it! (Any mistakes that you may find are entirely mine, though. Sorry!)**

**Please review to let me know what you thought! :)**


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